Mama’s breast-milk is liquid gold, just ask our baby daughter. She’s slowly learning now, but for a long time she thought that breast-milk is the solution to all problems. Most of the time she was right, but not always. Here’s a sampling of reasons why she wants milk…
- I’m hungry – yes, Mama’s breast-milk certainly has all the nutrition that a baby needs
- I’m thirsty – yes baby, breast-milk also has all the water you need. If you’ve ever seen human breast-milk in a bottle, you’ll see it separate out over time, to be almost all clear with a thin fatty layer on top. So most of it is water. Added to that, the World Health Organization advises against supplementing with water for the first six months
- I’m tired – yes baby, Mama’s milk contains melatonin in the evening, helping you to sleep at night
- I’m upset/anxious – okay baby, we know that suckling helps calm you down
- I’m not feeling well – yes baby, Mama’s milk contains antibodies to help your body fight sickness
- My tummy is bloated – uh, no baby, eating even more when your tummy is full and has gas/air bubbles is NOT going to work…
At this point a little fight would erupt, with baby insisting she wants more milk, and Mama (and Papa) insisting that she needs to be burped. We’re the adults in the relationship, so we need to remain firm no matter how much she protests, or how angry she gets. Finally, she lets out a big burp and the pressure is relieved. Ahhhhhh, sigh. Relax. Little smile… and more milk.
Cover photo credit: PublicDomainPictures.
