Introduction:

Tell story (#1): A very pretty bird made a nest in the tree outside the Rama's house. The family watched with interest as the mother bird carefully collected the twigs to build the nest, laid some beautiful eggs, and carefully sat on them until they hatched. The mother bird then took on the job of feeding the three chicks. She went out diligently every day to find worms and bugs and other good food to feed the chicks. They grew well and soon became big enough and strong enough to go out on their own, learn to fly and get their own food. How is this like the babies in our families? (They need to be loved and cared for and fed the best possible food for them so they can grow properly.) (#2).

Concept #1

*When a pregnant mother eats well, her baby has a better chance of being born with a strong, healthy body. *

A mother, while she is pregnant, is helping her baby be born strong and healthy by the kinds of foods she eats and how she takes care of herself. (In some countries, women want a small baby in order to have an easier delivery. Actually, larder babies are usually healthier.) Pregnant women need to eat from the three food groups and particularly from the growth group because the baby needs the nutrients to grow properly (#3). What are some examples of growth foods? Pregnant women need to have these in their diet as well as protective and energy foods.

Before pregnancy and after becoming pregnant, women need foods that contain iron and calcium (#4). Food with iron include liver, red meats, eggs, beans, cereals, and dark green vegetables. Calcium is found in milk products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, dried beans, soybeans, and in some seeds and nuts. Tortillas, with lime used in soaking the corn, also provides calcium.

Concept #2

Breast milk is the most nutritious food for babies.

If a baby is born healthy after a full-term pregnancy, the best food it can get is breast milk (#5). The mother should feed the baby from the day it is born if possible. The first breast milk contains colostrum, which can help protect the baby from infections in the intestines and other illnesses. In the first few days, the mother may not think she is producing enough milk and the baby may nurse only a little but it may be all that the baby needs. For the first few days, the mother should feed the baby for five minutes on each breast for each feeding. In the next week, she can increase the feeding time to 10 or 15 minutes on each side. The mother's supply of milk will usually increase to meet the demands of the baby. Frequent feeding is a good way to develop a good milk supply. A mother may find that milk from one breast is enough for one feeding and the other breast can be used for the next feeding . After the baby is one and a half months old, they can be fed every three or four hours. If the baby is satisfies after feeding and is gaining enough weight (doubling his birth weight after approximately five months and tripling in a year), he is probably getting enough milk.

Most women will be able to breast feed their baby. If she cannot, she can make a formula from animal milk (#6). She must be sure that her hands, the utensils and the bottle have all been washed and sanitized before giving the formula to the baby. The formula must be made from sterilized mild and water. The recipe is two parts milk, one part water and one tablespoon of sugar. Boil the formula and let it cool to room temperature before feeding it to the baby. The formula can also be made with canned evaporated milk with the recipe being two parts of milk to three parts of water. In some parts of the world, women can buy formula preparations. People must be careful to follow the directions exactly and not dilute with too much water or the baby will not get enough nutrients. Even though in many places advertising says that purchased formula is the best food for babies, it is not. The best food is mother's breast milk. Up to one year old, a baby should breast feed first and then eat other foods. A baby can be breast fed until age two or older, as long as other foods are given. Breast milk alone is only sufficient for about 3-5 months.

Concept #3

A growing infant needs to eat well.

Growing infants need to eat well with foods from all three food groups in adequate amounts (#7). Between the ages of one and tow, a baby can start eating the same foods as the rest of the family. To start this transition to family foods, a mother can use the following suggestions.

At four to six months of age, a baby can begin eating other foods along with the breast milk (#8). A baby should get only one new food at a time and not more than one or tow new foods a week. The food should be mashed well or pureed so that baby will find it easy to eat. The person preparing the food needs to wash their hands well and sanitize the the utensils so the baby will not get sick. Baby's first food, other than milk, should be a thin rice porridge. Other grain porridges, or pureed vegetables or ripe fruits should be added next. Vegetables need to be cooked before they are pureed. Fruits such as bananas, papayas , and mangoes are easy to mash. Juice from the food can be used to thin the puree.

To make a puree, wash and sanitize your hands, the utensils and the food to be prepared. Peel the food and mash it with a fork. Put it though a strainer into a clean bowl. Any leftover pulp should not be given to the baby. Thin the puree if it is too thick. The foods to be pureed can be the same ones prepared for the rest of the family if they have not been spiced. Juices can be made for babies by mixing pureed fruit with an equal amount of purified drinking water.