Breast is best

Exclusive breast-feeding is best but not everyone can do this, explains our resident baby expert, Jenni Johnson….
 

The benefits of continuing with breastfeeding for as long as you are able to or are happy to, outweigh the belief that you are minimizing the ’goodness’ of breastmilk because you had to introduce a formula bottle. Emotionally and financially breast is best even if not exclusive.

A persistent cough that just doesn’t seem to go away sometimes just needs time. So if your child has no temperature, no wheeze and doesn’t seem sick it is probably viral or seasonal. Old fashioned cough mixtures like a teaspoon of olive oil, 3 teaspoons of honey and a juice of l lemon can be mixed well together and given as often as required.

If you get mastitis whilst breastfeeding, the treatment is to carry on breastfeeding frequently. Apply heat in the form of hot face cloths every three hours. Don’t cut down on drinking fluids as water flushes out the infection. Take pain medication and if necessary go onto an antibiotic under the guidance of your doctor. Breastmilk changes during mastitis and this protects your baby. The body is miraculous isn’t it?

If you have children who are fussy eaters, help them acknowledge what caused the response: is it taste, smell, texture, or temperature? It takes 10 to 15 times for some children to trust and try a new food. Offer it in different cooking methods, shapes, temperatures, and offer something that looks good.

Childbirth shapes the way women see themselves. It is an experience that has far reaching potential for affecting mental and social health. Good antenatal care is so important to prepare you adequately, taking away fear and giving you understanding so that years afterwards when you look back at your labour and your feelings towards your newborn child they will be positive. Check out jennisays.com for more details.


* Catch Jenni on-air every day just after 10am with her tip of the day.

Jenni Johnson, our resident ‘Baby Whisperer’, has been a practicing child-care practitioner for 15 years, and owns a busy ante and post natal clinic in Durban.

At Jenni’s ante and post natal clinic in Durban, parents are taught a system that gives them structure and routine to the baby and childhood years. Jenni has a nursing background. She’s a registered nurse, midwife, psychiatric nurse and a practicing child-care practitioner for the past 15 years. Jenni’s online clinic, can be accessed online via www.jennisays.com. For appointments, e-mail [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter via @JenniSays or on Facebook by 'liking' The Berea Baby Clinic.