FEEDING HABITS FOR YOU BOTH

Tasty Fish

A touchy subject this one,  but then aren't they all? 😩 Young trendy mothers will tell you to watch what you eat, the extreme ones will even say to try dieting so as to lose that baby fat asap, while the older and "more experienced" ones will tell you to eat like there is no tomorrow, because there isn't, you're now a mother and not a girl any more, so act and look like one. I use the quotes because as far as I know age does not denote experience, and especially in matters baby, where each is as different and as unique as a snowflake (not that I have ever seen one in Kenya though lol). And so although there are general issues that cut across every child, you cannot expect to succeed with a one-size-fits-all approach.

What To Do? 🤔

So now just what to do you ask? I will advice you according to my personal experience, as that is the only way I am sure works, something about stories shared over large cups of tea at odd hours raises suspicion in me hehe :) At the hospital, they told me that I would be put on glucose and only eat liquid foods for the next few days and I wanted to know why. Get the horror images of your cs stitches coming apart because you ate too much though, the reason is pretty simple and actually applies for normal unaided deliveries as well, the 'C' word, dreaded Constipation. If you have ever been constipated at any stage of your life you know how terrible it is, so imagine being exhausted, and sore -Very sore- down there, and add constipation to that. Now that makes for a plausible horror story, and I truly am sorry for whatever imagery must have accompanied it.

Traditions 😁

So most traditions dictate that a mother who has just given birth (called a 'ndomononi' in Maasai) must keep warm, eat, and drink only warm and hot things, so if you end up staying with opinionated family over that period, you will need to be crafty because I suspect this is not only found in the Maasai culture. As I learnt the hard way, warm water is thirst inducing, if you can get it down in the first place, and since my requests for a cup of cool drinking water were met with a kind but firm 'cold things will make your stomach stay swollen, so no' , I had to get sneaky, and would drink some when no one was looking-not easy in a household with two kids, believe me. And even then, I did get constipated as it was not enough, and honestly you do the math: if you are breastfeeding, the milk needs water as a large part of its composition, then you are constantly kept very hot, so sweating in plenty, then add to that the water you pass in urine, and don't forget the tears of loneliness you shed from missing your home and am sure you get the picture, a glass or two of water is not enough, not even close.

So anyway I suffered, let's just leave it at that, and learn the lesson that water, in plenty, is a must, because milk will be formed whether you drink fluids or not, and there go your reserves. So whatever you do, don't suffer unnecessarily. It really is a bit of work nursing in Kenya, what with all the different cultures.....

Eating For Two 😅

On to food, which you will be served in amounts 'for two', lol who actually comes up with these things? Milk will form, and your duty is to make sure it is nutritious, so do not stuff yourself with plain porridge, sweet potatoes, bananas, and any random edibles you find, you are not a cow (though you may be looking and feeling like one, ha!). Granted, you need to eat a bit more than you usually did, A Bit, so honestly do not force yourself beyond your comfort because (A) you will grow fat (B) you will probably constipate (C) Flooding your system with non nutritious food does neither you nor the baby any favors. 

The Thin Line 🔬

If you feel like you might be over eating and are concerned, consult a nutritionist, and take a glass of water some minutes before every meal, as this will curb that bottomless-pit feeling in your stomach. Also take a glass of water if you get ravenous too soon after eating, but one thing you should never do is to compare your appetite and serving sizes with the next nursing mom. This is because each person is different;different metabolism, different lifestyles, and different energy requirements etc. Also, babies do not all suckle the same, and the more that they suckle the more energy they will draw from mum hence the more the food she will need. And by all means, now is not the time to start dieting, so find where the line of too much and too little gets drawn and stay there, and your body will thank you for it and so will toto, trust me.

Let's Hear it For Toto 👶🏽

Enough about mom, what about tiny tot? He needs nutrition too, and hunger has no wristwatch or even wrists so it can strike at any time and you will need to feed him then, otherwise he will get fussy, become a handful, and make you lose it. So any time your baby starts to show any of the cues of hunger including opening and closing the mouth, making sucking sounds, turning the head around towards anything that touches his cheeks and putting hands in the mouth, just do it mama, feed the little one right away. Waiting too long and trying to 'train' your baby to get into a feeding pattern will frustrate you both because a hungry baby is an angry one. 

Milk or Formula 🍼

We've heard a million times before that milk supply is determined by how much your baby feeds, so if you feed him often milk should be in pretty much constant supply considering other factors such as your diet and your state of mind, as stress dries you up properly. Now the battle between milk or formula is a tough one to fight, so I will sit on the fence for now, but whichever you choose, make sure you do your best to anticipate his next feed to save you a lot of hustle. Generally, breastmilk dissipates faster from the stomach than formula so you will have shorter time-spans between breastfeeding than formula feeding, and pretty much everything that applies to breastfeeding will apply to expressed milk feeding, it is after all breastmilk as well.

Verdict

The final word is therefore this; make sure that you eat well, until you are full and content, as long as it is a nice, clean, healthy meal. You will worry about getting back your svelte figure after toto is six months as this is the time recommended for exclusive breastfeeding and as baby will start to eat solids, you have a bit more leeway as to your nutrition because before this time is up you are obligated to eat well so as to nurse baby well. As for the tot, whether breastfeeding, expressing, or formula feeding, as long as the reason is not selfish and you will be a happier mama for it, then go for it by all means, and until next week, stay full!!