power bars for breast fed babies! what a terrific concept. made with
breastmilk butter and yogurt, of course, and tasting best when washed down
with . . . mom's own.

i have a position about introducing solids which is pretty much the laissez
faire (i believe that is french for "lazy mother" method). i tell moms not to
start with cereal, but to use breastmilk or water or cow's milk (if that is
their family drink) with it if they must. you would not believe how many
exclusively breastfeeding mothers think you are "supposed" put formula in the
cereal. and there are even doctors in town who tell mothers this. "you have
to use formula, give it in a bottle every day, and use it in cereal." i asked
some poor woman why the doctor said this, and she replied that the doctor
said "just in case."

being in a wicked mood that day i innocently asked "in case what?" she didn't
know. i said, "in case you died?" now how likely is that, and to tell every
mother to use formula because of that revolting concept!

okay, now i am off the track. how to start solids? when they divebomb your
plate, let them eat food. yes, cathy is pretty close with "table scraps."
this particular case seemed to involve a baby who was not getting enough
breastmilk offered and there were various reasons why pumped milk or formula
was not being offered (believe me, i would have FED HIM THE ABM MYSELF IN A
BOTTLE if i could have, that just shows you have desperate this was).

so i said, give him ripe avocado, banana, meats, let's give the dairy a try
so you can give him butter, cheese, yogurt (hey, butter is just a form of
cheese, and very easy for babies to eat) and half and half. for those of you
not in the usa, half and half is a light cream. and, offer whole milk
(remember this is an 8 month old baby) in a cup. (according to the Wisdom of
dr. newman).

she had wanted to try offering solids as she did with her first child. first,
cereal with water. then after some lengthy time, a vegetable out of a jar.
then after a week, a fruit. then after another week, another vegetable. at
that rate, it would be months before he got any high calorie food. remember,
not too many foods have the caloric/nutrient density of breastmilk, so you
don't want to fill up the stomach of a poorly growing child with something
LESS nourishing. she also was unhappy that this child did not want her to
feed him. he wanted to feed himself (are we surprised?) but she didn't like
that because it was "messy and takes too long." (so what would it hurt if he
sat there for an hour if he were eating all that time? see what this was
like, and this is just a minor example).

but she managed to get on the program, so to speak, and is actually amazed
and delighted with what and how he eats, and how easy and "natural" it is. i
have lots of clients tell me this. it IS fun and humans are not little baby
birds, after all, who would just sit there with their mouths open and their
hands at their sides.

now, about the not offering formula in a cup, and offering "just cow's milk"
let me not sing that song again, but refer all who wonder to the archives,
where dr. newman has written about this before at some length.

"let them drink cow" (if the mother doesn't want to pump some). (after age
six months)

carol brussel IBCLC
eating high calorie/high density foods ALL the time in denver, CO (should be
eating rice cereal with water)

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