My baby just turned to six months old. This stage is a kind of turning point development. I visited the GP (General practitioner) for his 6 month immunization. Here some review of his development.
Breastfeeding (menyusui)
I have breastfed my Ahnaf since he was just born. It is suggested that mothers should breastfeed her baby exclusively up to six months. After six months, it is fine to substitute breast milk with formula. However, breastfeeding has tied up both of us with a great bonding. I feel a bit hard to stop feeding him with my breast, indeed my body still produces it as much as my baby needs. I talked to my GP about this. She said that breastfeed even until 12 months is good but after, because nutrition in breast milk might decrease significantly and baby needs more for his development.
So, I decided to feed him with my breast still, but not combine it with formula. It’s silly to combine breast milk with formula, doctor says, due to formula milk can destroy some of advantageous material in breast milk. Nevertheless, just in case the baby needs more liquid, boiled water (not bottled water) is good enough.
Solid food (makanan padat)
Babies should be introduced to solid around six months old because they needs more nutrition particularly iron for growing. Factually, I started introduce solid food to my Ahnaf when he was 5 months old something (this is around 6 months, isn’t this?). He shows me at that time that he’s ready for solid. I got the signs as explained. I tried vegetable puree and infant rice cereal, just following what it is suggested by doctors.
He is a goooood eater, he doesn’t reject the food, and even he wants to feed by himself like trying to hold the spoon or bowl. Once he got constipation like what I posted here but it’s all over. He poos almost everyday and quite big smelly one. Hehe… Oh ya I asked my GP today why he got constipation. She explained that baby needs transition time, from only absorbing milk to solid food. So at the first time, the food actually just passed the intestine without being digested. Right that during his first few weeks eating solid, his poos pretty similar with the veggie puree I gave. By the time the solid food increases, doctor continued, he will poo more frequently. :P perjuangan seorang ibu nih… heheh…
Physic development (pertumbuhan fisik)
His weight at born was considered small (2495 grams). Alhamdulillah, he has been growing up significantly and reached the average weight as expected since his first month life. Now, 6 months old, he is 7600grams. His length is 67cms. Fantastic. Lovely. I proud of my self! *big smile*
Love for healthyness (Cinta untuk kesehatan)
Now about vomiting! Time flies, indeed, I’ve got no time to tell you here that Ahnaf had considerable reflux, then colic and eventually hernia. I got him to three doctors to examine his body when he was about three weeks.
Firstly, he got reflux, which is vomiting after feed, but because there wasn’t a projectile and his tummy was soft, all doctors said the same: it’ll be gone by the time he grows, at about 3 months, or 6 months, we won’t give him any medication, the doctor said.
Secondly, he was a baby colic. He cried loudly for no reason most of the time, unless while he was in my cuddle. He cried when waking up, changing nappy, bathing, in the pram, etc, exclude if I gave him a cuddle. Then, he often pull his tummy back (arcing) for uncertain reason, even doctors couldn’t explain why. He made noise when he was sleeping. Etc.. etc...
Thridly, because he cried much, he was still very young, and there was unclosed hole in his under tummy part (see the symptoms of hernia)... yes he got right inguinal hernia when he was 6 weeks old. It’s been repaired a week after at Sydney Children Hospital (remembering dr varjavandi, young excellent one ;D). The scar was about 5 cms and it’s completely invisible by a week or so. Perfect!
And yes eventually after he was about two or three months old, he wasn’t baby colic, not crying much. He started to give back my love. It was a three month tough stage. Only love, again it is love that make those things all gone. You know what I did? I gave him cuddle immediately if he cried. This cuddle at this ages won't spoil him, there is an explanation about this in the site of raisingchildren dot net dot au. I proved it also.
The most memorable, he also slept on my cuddle often. Because he vomited and then cried if lying on horizontally even though he had burped. He had to be posited standing upfront. Consequently, I had to rest my body half sitting to keep him safe in my cuddle. His sleeping time was about two hours, followed with feeding and changing nappy for about one hours then trying to sleep again.
Time flies. This tiring period is over remaining knowledge and worthy experience. I still give him love as much as before though.
He is now six months. He is a good eater, a lovely baby, a well sleeper. He sleeps like a boy at night, almost 5 – 6 hours per sleep, wakes up for feeding and then sleeps again effortless. Therefore I've got enough time to study at night. During the day, I spend my time for being together with him. Wherever I go like to the uni, shopping centre, friends' visits, parties, park etc, I shall with him, except to toilet and kitchen.
Smile
Most of us say Ahnaf is a kind of serous baby. Yes, he is most of the time outside home, he might learn what they are around. At least, he always has a healthy look (his chubby face, his bright eyes!!), this is more important. At home, he is so cheerful baby in fact. He smiles to me, even when he opens his eyes from sleeping beauty. We’ve got his video when he’s laughing constantly for about fifteen minutes, not only one, please note! We have many funny pictures. We’re happy being together.
Immunisation
He has got everything he needs up to six months. I'll tell you later about immunisation.
Enough for now. Too many to write. Everyday has a different one, but just too busy too speak up here everyday. The days come too fast thus I get confused which one to tell first. Time flies again, time flies. I’ve got to prayer for all this goodness. I love my baby, Ahnaf.
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