I can’t be alone in this, right?
Is anyone else confused as to why people are so obsessed with feeding your baby things they have never had before, or things you don’t want them to have or they should not have yet? What happened to asking the mom first and giving her a chance to say “No, thank you!?” What if my child is allergic to something and you are sticking it in her mouth without asking? What if I wanted to be the first one to feed my child cake for her first birthday? What if I wanted to be the first one to see my child’s face when they lick a lemon for the first time? You are taking my firsts!
If I had a $1 for every time I heard “I gave her cake, is that ok?” or “I gave her some pizza, is that ok?” or “Why don’t you give her some of your cheese?” or “She looks so hungry, poor baby” I would be a millionaire.
What happened to the cliche saying “momma knows best?” Not someone else’s momma. Me! The mother of the baby! I know what her food intake is and I keep track of it religiously. I know what she can and cannot have based on research, experience, and doctor’s orders. Why do you still insist on trying to get me to feed her new things? Does she look malnourished? Does she look unhappy? Trust me. I got this.
I don’t care that Billy and Sally ate this at an earlier age. That’s them. This is me and my husband’s child. We make the food decisions. Why is that so shocking to some people?
I love that people love my child. I love that they want to help and be in their life. But this is not helping. It is actually stressing me out. It is putting me on the defensive immediately explaining why I don’t want to do or give my baby something. I should not have to feel questioned or forced into doing something I am waiting to do or that my baby is not ready for.
We moms (and dads) have enough things to stress about. Worrying about what people are feeding my child when they are babysitting, or when I leave the room thinking about what they are sneaking to them, should not be one of them. Please help ease our anxiety by following our lead, letting us make the decisions, and only giving us advice when we ask!
Per Click me and leave the Momma Alone, this is the advice given by many doctors. So please realize we are trying to be scheduled, calculated, and methodical in what we give our babies and their very immature digestive systems:
Do’s:
- Go slow, choose one-ingredient foods first, then work your way up.
- Choose simple, healthy foods without spices.
- Follow baby’s cues on how much he or she wants to eat.
- Check with your child’s pediatrician about baby’s growth and development.
Don’ts:
- Give food larger than baby’s fingertip.
- Give sharp foods or other food baby can choke on, like grapes (unless cut into quarters) or hot dogs.
- Give baby whole milk until after the first birthday.
RANT OVER!
