Infants are supposed to ride rear-facing in the car until age two. Exclusively-breastfed babies are supposed to take iron and vitamin supplements. Four-month-olds are supposed to eat rice cereal twice a day. Who knew? I have to say, I thought I'd know what I was doing by the time my fourth kid arrived!
I haven't been giving Lexi iron and other vitamins. I honestly can't remember to do it, so I hang my head in shame (OK, not really) at every check-up when the doctor asks me about the vitamins. My other babies thrived without vitamins; I think Lexi will be fine, too. However, putting off introducing rice cereal has been a conscious move. I've been lazy and non-committal.
Garry made a bold move and came home with rice cereal and oatmeal for Lexi the other day. It sat on the counter daring me to use it, so I put it in the pantry. From behind closed doors it called to me: "You know you want to follow the rules! Give Lexi cereal! Force the gruel down her throat!"
Thursday was the day. And it looked like this:
Overall success on Day One: 5 out of 10. Overall cuteness of the baby in question, even with cereal on her face: 10+.
A new phase of life has begun.
13 comments:
You are right. she is a 10.
in regards to all those rules....SERIOUSLY???
Lexi is darn cute though!
Actually, the AAP's current recommendation is that "exclusive breastfeeding is sufficient to support optimal growth and development for approximately the first 6 months of life". According to their statement, special circumstances may indicate introduction of supplementary foods as early as 4 months, but also as late as 8 months. Your pediatrician seems to have made up that 2x per day thing. :) They are *always* changing their stories, aren't they??
(Full current AAP statement on breastfeeding here:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics;115/2/496
See particularly the section entitled "Recommendation on Breastfeeding for Healthy Term Infants", beginning at bullet point #10 for the information on food introduction and vitamin supplementation.)
I have to know this stuff - professional curiosity, you know!
In any case, Lexi is adorable.
What? What? Those are the weirdest rules I have ever heard. Well, if my doctor brings it up with this baby (and she never did for Greta) I might have to tell her what I think about that.
Love love love that bib!
Definitely a 10+! What a doll! Are you still taking a vitamin suppliment and they still want you to do the vitamin drops while breastfeeding? That seems like an OD to me! I've never had a doc push vitamins, yipes! Those drops are so NASTY. Well, at least the rice cereal has added vitamins, so that may cancel out the need to suppliment. Another milestone, it goes too fast!
She is a doll. 10+. With my first she was needing cereal early on. She was a fatty. It'll be interesting to see how our next one is. :)
Heidi, you're doing a great job, as evidenced by your wonderful boys. Trust yourself. :)
And... with all that spare time you have on your hands... (I know, I know)... run down to the library and pick up a book called "Hungry Monkey" by Matt Amster-Burton. I promise it will make you laugh.
In my opinion rice cereal before 6months is optional. Who has time for that with your 3rd or 4th kid?
What an adorable little cereal eater. She's definately a 10++++ to grandma:)
It's amazing we all (including our kids!) survived with all the ever-changing pediatric "rules."
Lexi is adorable!
What the bleep? I've never heard of any vitamin supps for breast-fed babies and I've had five. I say that's a bunch of bunk. If you're keeping up with her routine check-ups, pat yourself on the back and call it good!
Whatever...that's what I say. The latest and greatest isn't always what it's cracked up to be a few years later. Obviously. Just go with your instincts. The vitamin things for breastfed babies is ridiculous unless the mom is malnurished. Just because some researcher found these things to be good to enrich formula doesn't mean what you make isn't good enough. There's a reason moms can feed their babies.
Lexi is adorable!
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