These past few weeks I have faced some issues with my seven month old daughter.  I exclusively breastfeed her on demand, basically when she wants it I give it to her.  At six months I introduced her to solids, starting off with cereal (oatmeal) and then moving forward with fruits and veggies.  I did this three times a day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, she would breastfeed in between her meals.  She seemed to take a liking to everything I gave her, but I noticed that she was having problems pooping.  She was straining and pushing for long periods of time. I felt so bad and helpless and did not know what to do.  I called the doctor and they told me to increase the amounts of green leafy vegetables I give her, along with giving her prunes.  Of course these are things I have tried already, including trying to give her a few ounces of water. 

            When that did not work I turned to a breastfeeding page on Face book called: This milk matters: Lactation support group.  They always provide me with great feedback and support sometimes I think that advice is better than doctors :). They recommended to me to continue nursing and decrease the amount of foods I give her. They also told me that giving her water may not be the best alternative for bowel movements since that may fill her up and she will nurse less often.  I plan to breastfeed until her first birthday, because I know the power of breast milk provides so many great benefits for our little ones, but at some point I figured they needed solids. Our milk is all the need for the first year of life, and about 88% of our milk is made up of water. So I took this advice and increased the amount of times I nurse and decrease her solid intake and today she had two healthy bowel movements without straining. It’s amazing what our milk does and how quickly our babies respond to it.

            I breastfed my son for 14 months, and it was an incredible experience.  He was and still is very healthy and I really encourage other moms out there to do it.  It truly is the best thing for our babies, and thanks to support groups such as this one on face book I have someone to turn to in a time of need other than a doctor or my spouse.  Encouragement from other mamas goes a long way.  I recommend that you all grab some support while nursing, because it is demanding and can be overwhelming if your child has problems like that one I had or other issues that can occur.  I am sharing the article about infants drinking water for your research. 

            Thanks for stopping by and remember to share is to care.  I love to hear from you, so I look forward to your comments.  Together we can strive for mommy success, changing the world one mommy at a time! 🙂 Stay blessed.