The Story Telling Nutritionist

My smart, pretty, and hard-working niece, Carmen had her first baby in August 2013 and named her Vera ClaraBeth.  Carmen, a Nurse Pracitioner, and Baby Vera have agreed to be my Teaching Assistants in a discussion of the principles of infant feeding from THE BEST EXPERT on this topic:  Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, LCSW, BCD.  She is the author of “Child of Mine:  Feeding With Love and Good Sense”, “Secrets of Feeding a Healthy Family”, “Your Child’s Weight:  Helping Without Harming”, “How To Get Your Kid To Eat…But Not Too Much”, and “Feeding With Love and Good Sense:  The First Two Years.”

Ellyn Satter’s “Division of Responsibility” is the best way to feed your child…no matter what age.  Ellyn Satter’s Division of Responsibility is as follows:  “The parent is responsible for WHAT to feed your child; Your child is responsible for HOW MUCH to eat.  In early infancy, a parent chooses breastfeeding or formula feeding.  My niece, Carmen, chose to breastfeed Vera.

CARMEN NURSING BABY VERA – WHAT GREAT POSTURE!

Just an editorial note:  I use the pronouns “her” or “she” in this blog post.  If Carmen would have had a boy, I would have used the male pronouns.

During the first two years of life, parent and child go through 3 stages in development.  They are HOMEOSTASIS, ATTACHMENT, and SEPARATION-INDIVIDUATION.  Currently, Carmen and Vera are in the HOMEOSTASIS stage of development.  When Vera was born in August, she came from a quiet, dark place into a world of light, sounds, smells, and a large Polish family!  Vera is learning to be calm and alert in this new environment.  To eat well, Carmen needs to give Vera help to not be upset by all this commotion.  Carmen needs to pay attention when Vera tells her she needs to wake up, sleep, eat and stop eating.  Some may think that by paying all this attention to a baby that it will spoil the baby. Don’t worry about spoiling a tiny baby because it is impossible to do so.

Tips from Ellyn Satter, MS, RD, LCSW from page 12 from her booklet, “Feeding With Love and Good Sense:  The First 2 Years” on feeding newborn infants:

1.  Feed when she wants to eat and is wide awake and calm.  Do not try to feed her  on a schedule or when you think of it.  Do not feed when she is drowsy and upset.

2.  Ask her to open her mouth by touching her cheek or lips or showing her your nipple.  Don’t pry open her mouth.  Don’t shove in your nipple when she yawns, laughs, or cries.

3.  Sit still; keep the feeding smooth and steady.  Don’t jiggle the baby or jiggle the breast.  Don’t stop feeding to wipe, burp, or play.  When she needs burping, she stops eating and looks uncomfortable.

4.  Let the baby decide to eat her way — fast or slowly, steady, or start-and stop.  Don’t make her hurry or slow down.

5.  Talk to her or touch her in a way that she likes and that helps her to stay awake.  Don’t talk loudly or in an unpleasant voice.  Don’t jiggle or tickle.

6.  Let her eat a lot or a little.  Don’t make her eat a certain amount.

7.  Let her rest for a bit and then offer the nipple again to see if she wants to eat more.  Don’t assume she is full if she stops and looks around.  She may want to look at you or rest.

8.  Work toward having her be awake at the end of the feeding.  Don’t deliberately feed her to sleep.

9.  After a feeding, talk or play for awhile.  Keep her close while you go about your day.  Put her to bed when she is calm and drowsy and let her put herself to sleep.  Don’t wait until she is upset and fussy to put her down.

In summary, a baby eats best and feels best about her mother, and about feeding, when you pay attention to her and do what she wants.  Feeding should be guided by paying attention to your baby’s signs of hunger and fullness.  Enjoy your special time with your baby!

Thank you to Carmen and Baby Vera for their assistance with this blog post!

BABY VERA WITH HER DOG BROTHER, LEO.  BOTH ARE SLEEPING WELL AFTER A GOOD FEEDING!