During the first two weeks feed your baby whenever he or she is hungry. After that, whenever he or she is hungry, but not
less than two hours after the last feeding. This is because it takes about two hours to digest the milk, and if you feed your baby more often, adding new milk on top of partially digested milk, it could cause gas. The Ayur-Veda herbal tea that is prescribed for postpartum
mothers can be given directly to your baby by teaspoon. Just a sip brings immediate relief.
If the mother has dry or cracked
nipples you can apply ghee to the nipples prior to nursing. Ghee is nourishing for the baby and helps lubricate and protect the nipples during nursing. Applying a warm compress over the nipples before nursing is also comforting, as it brings increased blood and circulation to the area.
The causes of unhealthy breast milk are an unwholesome or heavy diet, fasting, anger, grief, diseases, and breast-feeding one child while pregnant with another.
It’s good to stop middle-of-the-night feedings after your baby is six to nine months old because they increase congestion and disturb sleep patterns. Once the child starts eating solids, you can go longer between feedings. If your baby continues to wake up at night, you can offer water.
When your baby’s first tooth appears, this is a sign from nature that he is ready to eat solid foods. Usually this occurs around five or six months of age. If your baby is showing an interest and desire for the food around him, this is often a good sign that he is ready to start. Begin with foods that are very easy to digest. Introduce only one food at a time. First foods: a thin rice broth or thin dahl broth made from split mung beans is recommended to start. Gradually make it thicker and creamier. Eventually you can add vegetables and fruits that your baby likes, and move into a regular routine of three meals a day. You might wait with cow’s milk until after twelve months. As you introduce the new foods, you’ll continue breast-feeding, although your milk supply will naturally decrease as the baby eats more solids. It’s better to keep breast-feeding for three months after you introduce the new food. Avoid sour foods such as strawberries, yogurt, cheese, and grapefruit. Go light on bananas.
Vedic medicine recommends eleven months as the optimal age to wean your child. By then she will have enough teeth to chew, and will be accustomed to eating a solid diet. Continuing to breast-feed for a longer period of time can be exhausting to the mother, with fewer and fewer gains for the child. It is emotionally easier for the child to be weaned at eleven months rather than fourteen months or later. The older she gets, the more she is aware of her surroundings, and the harder it may be for her to stop breast-feeding. However, take your own child’s needs into consideration, and use your own maternal instincts to make a decision.
Sing songs to your child. It is natural for mothers in every culture to sing to their children.
The child’s feelings of well-being are completely dependent on receiving love from the mother. Infants who form healthy attachments with their mothers shortly after birth become much more self-sufficient, outgoing, intelligent, and happy than children who were separated from their mothers immediately after birth and kept in a hospital nursery except for feedings. Mothers who bond with their infants early tend to feel more self-assured and relaxed when handling their infants, with no anxiety or awkwardness. Bonding is indicated and promoted by cuddling, kissing, prolonged eye contact, cooing, and speaking nourishing words in a nourishing tone of voice.
The mother’s attitude toward her baby before the baby was born—how much she loved and wanted the baby—is the biggest factor in determining the child’s subsequent emotional and physical health. Even the father can bond with his baby before birth. Happy thoughts create happy cells. The love that you give to your baby creates positive biochemical changes in both you and your baby. Giving your baby love is as important as providing food. Babies need love—expressed in holding, kissing, rocking, and cooing—to survive. And
the more love they receive in the earliest days and months, the more loving adults they become. Infants need to be nurtured and loved without limit. Without touch, babies cannot grow normally.