How to introduce bottle step by step and solid food to a baby?

Every ending is a new beginning.

Summer ended and with this ended my maternity leave, kids holidays and taugh moments of motherhood. I know that a lot of new things has to happen, still, in our life, but right now we have to pass through new challenges.

1st of September was Marc's first day in the nursery and I had to make some changes in his diet because of this. We began to introduce him the bottle insted of breastfeeding during day-time and we continued with breastfeeding during the night-time. Because, he is already 4 months, I began to introduce solids in his diet. Below I want to share with you steps I have followed to make these changes easier for me and for my baby:

# Sunday, 28th of August - was his first day when I proposed him the bottle. I prepared only 90ml and gave him only one bottle during the first day, rest of the day was breastfeeding.

# Monday, 29th of August - I gave him 120ml of formula and rest of the day breastfeeding.

# Tuesday, 30th of August - I gave him 120 ml twice and in the evening solid food (banana in the oven with fresh orange juice), breastfeeding during the rest of the day

# Wednesday, 31th of August - 150ml of formula twice a day, apple in the oven for the evening and rest of the day breastfeeding

# Thursday, 1st of September- Marc's first day in the nursery, he took only 20ml of formula in the nursery and 150ml of formula at home, pear and banana in the oven and breastfeeding rest of the time

# Friday, 2nd of September- 120ml of formula in the nursery, 150ml at home and breastfeeding

# Saturday, 3rd of September - twice 150 ml of formula and boiled carrot in the evening.

# Sunday, 4th of September - once 150 ml and boiled potato.

Next week, I want to introduce him cereals. I wanted to give him 3 times formula a day, but it was a challenging change for my body and my baby.

Damian was at home all week long and I haven't had enough time to make too many activities with him.  Our daily routine was going to the park and reading books rest of the time.

Tomorrow is my first day at work after 4 months of maternity leave and 3rd day in the nursery for Marc. Kids are growing too fast.

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10 tips for breast care while breastfeeding.

Breast is one of the women's part of the body which suffers a lot of changes during pregnancy, and after giving birth, during breastfeeding. That is why, it is so important to take care of your breast during all this period.

Here are some tips, some of them are inspired from literature that I have read, others from my own experience. I hope these tips will help you as well.

1. Use suitable breastfeeding bra, that are comfortable for you.

2. Mantain you normal way of hygiene, wash your breast with pure water. Do not use in excess soap, lotions or cream, these can damage areola.

3. If you need to use a cream, try to use only creams rich in Vitamin E, only these help to prevent stretch marks.

4. Once your baby finished, apply some milk on the nipples, as our milk has different antiinflamatory components. From my experience it works better than any other cream to hydrate your nipples, in the first days of breastfeeding.

5. Alternate the breasts while feeding, try to evit the colapse of the breast. If your baby do not want to eat, it is good to extract milk and to reserve it for later feed.

6. Do not take out your breast promptly from the mouth of your baby, this action can damage your nipples. Use your finger to cut the vacuum that have been created with the mouth of your baby, and only then you can take your breast out.

7. Make regular massage to your breast. This helps from engorgement.

8. Do not expose directly your nipples to the sun.

9. Make some excercise for breast muscles. It is great to swim, yoga or pilates, but before doing this ask your doctor.

10. If you use absorbent discs, try to change them regularly to evit humedity.

Keep breastfeeding, I am sure you are doing a great job.

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