1. Re: Breast feeding and tips for better lactation
Posted by: "Shirish Bhate" shirishbhate@yahoo.com shirishbhate
Date: Sat Dec 2, 2006 11:57 am ((PST))

--- In Perinatalayurveda@yahoogroups.com, "Shirish Bhate"
<shirishbhate@...> wrote:
>
> 1. use of sugar in first food for the baby - would you kindly
explain the benefit, type of sugar, and does this also not include
some ghee? My clients find Baby does well on the water of boiled
rice first, then gradually thicker. After a week, they may add
water of boiled split mung, with similar sezuencing, gradually
adding appropriate purees of these and vegetables, giving several
days at least before introducing a new food. We find if the baby
begins with sweet things (commonly here mothers begin with mashed
banana or applesauce) then the baby does not accept much vegetable,
very commonly. I also find that if the mother includes a bit of
ghee and salt after the plain introductions, as well as pinch
cumin/turmeric, something like this according to season and doshic
factors, Baby's taste for the food as well as good digestion of it
without gas is protected. The tendency to add fruits to grains or
vegetables in same meal is unfortunate habit in the West.

=======
The article by Dr. Patwardhan gives the recommendations by Vaidyas of thousands year ago, when not only there were no environmental
toxins to weaken fertility, but the real nutrients in soil, fruits, vegetables were good and so was the quality of water.

What you are recommending is a correct approach for babies with weaker digestve systems, immature digestive agni. In ayurveda, sugar
means crystal sugar and ghee means indian cow ghee only. This sugar is not refined fully and has molecular water and few minerals also
present. Inclusion of sugar is for development of CNS, which demands more. In an article on ayurvedaonline, the contents of Cerebro spinal fluid are stated as chlorides, glucose, proteins. Glucose is very essential not only as energysource but also for cellular communication.


>
> 2. the 4 month mark strong recommendation for first food
experience - my understanding is that generally infant males tend to
be wanting/needing some supplement as soon as 4.5 months, that
females tend to be ready around 6 months. We were taught to
recommend 3 guidelines for beginning - first tooth, providing
salivary enzymes for carbohydrates, around this age (generally 6
months) AND strong desires indicated from the little one, not just
wanting to play with food but apparent good appetite for it. In
addition there is something about being able to hold the tongue to
support the food/spoon rather then always pulling in, as Dr.
SHrestha explained to us.

This is the difference between theory written millenium ago and practice by actual mothers; practice takes into account visual signs of requirements. Delaying solid food till tooth appears is logical. Code rules in texts are not rigid, since ayurveda treats each individual different. Last week a 23 year old girl stated that she had breast milk from foster mother till she was six years age! Can you imagine this occurying in any country?

regards
dr. bhate