Some Feeding Questions

Seriously, it is just gum...don't worry. How much are you chewing...you'd have to chew tons to have it be a problem (I asked my ob as well as my lactation consultant and both say small amounts are ok)? I say don't stress about the amount of nutrasweet in gum. If you were drinking gallons of diet Coke, that's another story. Relax and trust your instincts.

Not sure about the solids but the regular sugar is WAY better than aspartame, hands down. I chew Spry gum - it's got xylitol, which is nearly calorie free but is a natural herbal sweetener (you can order it online). I also make my own cookie dough when I'm craving it and use raw sugar, not bleached refined white stuff. You could make a huge batch and freeze it for when you want some.

I would probably avoid eating raw foods (i.e. cookie dough/raw eggs) while breast feeding.

R.,

I haven't questioned my doctor on the pasta but a friend was telling me that her doctor preferred the baby eating the Barilla plus because it is made with legumes and not flour. So yes, I would say give the baby that pasta.

As for the chewing gum that doesn't sound like a problem to me. How about using natural sugar to satisfy your sugar cravings. Fruit is loaded with natural sugar just make sure it is ripe. Strawberries, blueberries, bananas, melon, pears, grapes. All these things are great for you and the baby and will hopefully fill your sweet tooth and your tummy so you are satisfied.

Yes, it is ok for you to tell the baby eat solids until they are full. I wait 1/2 hour before nursing my daughter after a meal. This way she gets as much food as she wants and she will still get the milk.

Good luck,
L. M

Those are some great questions. I think think the pasta is fine. Just don't give her too much and make sure you overcook it so it is easier to digest. If she can eat wheat bread then she should be able to eat wheat pasta, add some yummy veggies and cheese and this is a great meal. I would never eat aspartame while breast feeding. There is so much negative information about aspartame and artificial sweeteners. There isn't enough scientific data on how artificial sweeteners affect babies. You don't yet know how sensitive she is to anything yet. Please stay away from it, just try to limit your cravings. There isn't anything wrong with eating cookie dough, just try not to eat too much of it. Also, try to breast feed baby first and then about an hour or a half hour later feed her solids. That way you know that she has gotten enough nutrition from the milk and has had enough of it. When she is older you'll want to switch to feeding her solids first then milk, but she is still young and most of her nutrition should come from breast milk or formula. Hope this helps. :)

I, too, think the pasta is probably fine. I like Ronzoni Smart Taste as well. Tastes better than the Barilla Plus, my husband and I think, but still with the extra proteins and calcium. I agree...overcook it and choose shapes that are easy to pick up and eat. My kids liked rotini and bowties (cut in half).

I also avoided asparatame while pregnant and breastfeeding.

Sure, let her eat solids. Her body will tell her she's full. I think I did the nursing first...wait a little and then have a meal. I think at 9 mo I was nursing about 4 times a day...nurse, breakfast, play, nap, nurse, lunch, play, nap, nurse, dinner, play, nurse. Does that sound like your little one?

Also, these are great questions fro your pediatrician at the 9 mo checkup.

awe, let her eat! Her body knows...
The pasta is probably fine but check the omega source, if its a fish source and not a flax source yo may want to be careful especially if she's not eating sea food yet.
as for you, be one with the cookie dough, enjoy it. your body is craving something in it. try to take one less bite each day. Don't do sugar free gum, not because of the aspartame but because of the sorbitol which causes gastrointestinal distress, bloating, gas and diarrhea. maybe try to substitute it with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich every now and then. (make sure you jelly is free of high fructose corn syrup) Not sure if your worried about your waste line, or health here but I'd be happy to help if you want to email me.

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Hi,

I think the pasta would be fine and it is great to think about how to introduce more nutrients than eating plain white pasta. I recently gave my 9 month whole wheat pasta and she loved it, but then she had some really painful gas so I am stopping the wheat for a little while and will reintroduce it soon. So I have been giving her brown rice pasta instead and she loves feeding it to herself.

I agree about skipping the sugar free stuff. When I was pregnant I wanted to be able to chew gum, but didn't want the chemicals so I spent a lot of time looking at gum packages at CVS! The only thing I found (other than super sweet kids bubble gum) was good old fashioned Dentyne cinnamon gum, but it is very hard to find. So when I would see it I'd buy a couple of packs.

If you are looking for a replacement sweet, maybe a small handful of dried fruit (I love apricots) or yogurt covered something. Of course it isn't the same thing, but at least you'd be getting more nutrients and fiber with your sugar.

My daughter also eats a lot, 3 times a day. I feel like at 7 months she made the switch from getting her primary nutrition from solids instead of milk. I think the suggestion of nursing (or bottle) first and then food a little while later makes sense, but I don't exactly do that. I nurse 3-4 times a day and my doctor said I could go down to three (but then again I don't really trust my doctor's opinion when it comes to nutrition) And she gets about two ounces of diluted prune juice and an ounce or two of water after each meal. I also wonder if she is getting enough milk because I feel like my supply is dwindling, but I guess she does get about an ounce or two mixed in with her cereal a couple of times a day. Anyway I'm babbling. I've heard at a year when you can switch to cow's milk they should be getting three 8 oz bottles a day.

good luck
D.

I don't know how much aspartame gets into the breast milk, but certainly the aspartame isn't good for YOU. A natural sweetener (sugar, stevia, etc.) is much better if you have to have something. Even dark chocolate has some benefit to you. Would a few extra dark chocolate chips satisfy you? I'm not sure if eating the raw cookie dough is a great idea.

If you have such strong cravings, you are missing something in your diet and you might look at an awesome nutritional supplement to give you what you need. It isn't sugar, it's something else probably. Our foods just don't contain the nutrients we need.

I think putting your daughter on whole grains early on is a lot easier than transitioning her from white flour, white pasta, etc. later on. That stuff really works on the blood sugar level and gives people a spike followed by a crash. Whole grains will sustain her longer because they take longer to digest. Remember that whole grain is different from multi-grain. Read the label - if it says "enriched flour" even from various grains (like enriched wheat and enriched rye), then it means they stripped all of the nutrients out and then "enriched" it by putting a little of it back. Go with whole wheat or whole anything else. Start with small quantities and her "system" will handle it fine if you are sure she is getting plenty of fruits and veggies and liquids.

She gets a lot of nutrients from the food that she can get from milk, so I'm not sure what you are worried about her missing.

However, NONE of us gets a full array of nutrients from the food anymore, no matter what it is, so why not consider an excellent nutritional supplement for all of you, which will meet your nutritional needs and help you with your craving, and ensure that both kids get what they need. I'd love to tell you about what worked for my family and the families I work with.