Baby-Led Weaning Gagging Vs. Choking

When I started solids with my baby I panicked a lot. Though I was well informed theoretically I was afraid of how would it go? So I pushed it to 7 months to say. I made up my mind to go with baby-led weaning so I knew the reaction that I will get from people around. I was even called a hard mom. According to them, I was torturing my daughter but the truth is I am allowing my daughter to lead a life of her choice. When we were in a trial phase we had to encounter gagging episodes which panicked the people around me. Since I knew the difference between choking and gagging I was able to overcome this scenario. These are the main concerns why people are against the baby -led weaning. I just wanted to give confidence to my fellow readers by making them understand the importance of gagging and choking and how to survive in these conditions.

It’s said by our ancestors and elders that while eating our concentration should be on food and it shouldn’t be carried away in haste. It’s the same mantra applied for baby too. Patience is the key factor and a pleasant environment is to be made such that baby has a good relationship with the food. Whenever food is taken one should understand the key concept of safe eating. Only this knowledge helped me to understand the principle behind eating comfortably.

When my baby was eating once, she happened to gag and my neighbour started to panic and she judged me as she didn’t find me as a panicked mom. I was calm because I knew the difference between gagging, choking and coughing. In shaa allah planning to cover that here so many new-moms will be able to take the finger food from the start without fear.

Gagging is often accompanied by coughing

Gagging is quite noisy and it’s going to be dramatic. The way your child deals with it will make anyone judge you. But it’s very safe. Each and every individual will face this in their life. The babies gag often when you start the solids. It’s because the gag reflex is in the front for babies and as they grow older it shifts to back when they are 12 months. That’s the reason why it is requested to start solids when they are ready.
Though it seems to be scary it’s a learning process for a baby. They get to learn the problem-solving skills. They are able to analyse the size, shape, and texture of the food to be allowed by them. It’s like they are the boss and they know how much to eat.

Choking

Choking is a silent killer. It’s a process of blocking the airway. With informative baby-led weaning, choking isn’t possible as the caregivers will know about the perfect size, shape, and texture. They won’t go wrong if they are knowledgeable in this area. Everything is with almighty’s wishes too.

Vomiting

Vomiting happens when they are learning to eat. If a child gags heavily the next stage they will land is vomiting. Vomiting doesn’t happen with all kids. It’s not like the adult technique. We associate everything with adult stage and forget the key point. Al hamdulilah they don’t become fatigue with this process just like adults.At one point they might puke and the next moment they will enjoy their meal just like nothing happened.

Tips to make it safe
While eating they should sit straight in a chair and been given their time and pace. If at all they gag it’s suggested not to put in your fingers to push the food out. It might panic them. It might even push the food in. Instead, let the gagging reflux bring the food out. To avoid choking please do go with the flow but being well learned on this topic.

Why didn’t I prefer chunky puree?
Purees are usually associated with the baby. I didn’t like the concept. Being a breastfed mom I felt my baby gets nutrition required and the food we give is an addition to the regular process so why to make them food aversion. I myself isn’t a fan of soups and purees so why to train them for it and then transition them to a family food! So our journey was straight with the finger food. To know what was our first food click here.

It’s a developmental milestone and I didn’t want to break that. I can see how the kids at the age of 7 still struggle to chew Whereas baby-led weaning kids chew like a pro. Maa shaa allah almighty has created each and everything for a purpose and we confuse with the modern life. When we go back to learn basics we can lead a healthy life. Al hamdulilah  happy to know this process and I am working on it to lead a simple easy life. LIFE is SIMPLE and Enjoy the life without complications. I enjoy the mess babyA does and follow the baby-led. Please do share this piece of message if you liked it.

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Let’s Plan and work for a productive Living-January

Welcome to my FIRST post of 2018-Goal planning post for 2018! I am really excited that you have hopped in to read this special post of mine. Since December, I have made it mandatory to write my monthly Goals as it’s really difficult for me to work on daily basis without planning. So with the Planning, I am accountable and when looking back I will know if I am doing my things right.

To know about the December month Goal you can click here!

So how did December Goals Go?

• Concentrate on Health- Alhamdulilah trying to eat healthy but I was unable to concentrate on workouts as we are in the 18^th month regression stage.
• Build a Strong Relationship with Almighty- I failed here as I wasn’t able to read a juz per day as decided. In shaa allah will plan better which is feasible for now. Taking baby steps is really good.

January Goals

          I am breaking down my categories into 5 areas:

 Religious; Parenting; Family; Alizehmysoul blog and Learning a new art.

Religious Goal:

          I want to build a strong relationship with Almighty,

• So to Pray 5 times a day with full concentration In shaa allah
• memorise a surah a day.
• Try to read a page from Hadith with meaning.

Parenting Goal:

• I am Planning to concentrate this month with simple play-based learning.
• Try to involve her in making the bed. You might laugh but she loves helping me so she can pull the sheet, arranging the pillows etc.

Family Goal:

          I need to work on this. My motive is going to be “Do It on the Spot”. A task to be done whenever need arises. With a toddler around my home will be spread with toys, balls, spoons, etc. So whenever I cross the spot clean it then and there so I can relax.

Have No Laundry to fold the next day

Have to go through the stuffs and donate them In shaa allah as we feel the more we donate, more the Gratitude behaviour grows within you.

Read stories and speak lot as a family

Alizehmysoul Blog Goal:

• December was good in terms of writing. In shaa allah have to plan quality articles this month.
• Have to collaborate with a blogger to exchange a guest post or two.
• Link up my articles.

Learn a New Skill:

     After babyA I started taking photographs. So In shaa allah I am going to capture a special moment or anything which amazes me and make an album of it. In shaa allah I will become a skilled photographer:p

I don’t know If I would be able to complete all of these and I haven’t planned things before babyA but doing now just because of babyA’s presence in my life. It might be a simple thing for you but it’s a huge list for me and In shaa allah as planned I will have to work on it.

Please do encourage me and if you really wish you can join our journey too by sharing your plan for the month January! Come let’s begin a well planned fun filled Winter Season!

Welcome to the Monthly Goals Blog Hop! Do you plan your month ahead? Have you anything in particular that your looking forward to this month? Is there anything in your life that needs focus? Kids, family, self… what is your motivation?
This blog hop and link up is to help you make new friends and find a partner to stay accountable to. Every month, a group of us get together to write our monthly goals. This helps us stay connected, accountable as well as inspire other moms to know how we do it all.
This month the participating blogs are:
Jeddah Mom – Confident Parenting | Deliberate Motherhood
Multicultural Motherhood
Mommy’s Next step 
Alizeh My Soul

Tips for New moms on Breastfeeding with Joy!!

Al hamdulilah we have completed 18 months of breastfeeding successfully and in shaa Allah have plans to breastfeed as long as babyA wishes!! Being a first time mom we would obviously have few doubts if we can or not. But in my case al hamdulilah the moment babyA was in my womb with the help of research and guidances i was mentally prepared to bond myself with the baby. I was confident enough to nurse her whatever happens. Even during the labour as soon as the baby was out,  the nurses started to convince me to get the formula milk in stock. To be frank i haven’t got a thought to get it even once. Al hamdulilah my sister is also breastfeeding her kiddo.  The moment my baby needs me irrespective of place, time etc., I nurse her.Initially I was shy to nurse in public but now we don’t mind. I really don’t know about others but this breastfeeding has helped me a lot during our flight journey. The main thing in this journey is trusting ourselves and being confident and firm that we can do it!!  To the new moms, here are my few tips regarding the breastfeeding
1. Trust yourself
Almighty has created everyone for a purpose and the science of body is made to perform the tasks assigned to each part of the body. So for instance heart pumps the blood, likewise the fingers are to hold an object. Similarly after the birth of the baby breast is to nurse the kid, calm down the crying baby, soothe him/her as a kid. So we will have to trust that we will have sufficient milk for our baby. To trust ourselves we will have to brush our basic education and understand the benefits of breastmilk and how the process works.
2. Supportive spouse
When nursing the baby the mind of the mom should be free from worries. This csn happen only when support arises from family members. Research says when there is support from the husband the wife enjoys the previlige of breastfeeding. Even if problem arises from the inlaws if husband helps in putting your foot down she will win the sky too. A supportive husband is a person who helps in daily activities and gets necessary items for the mom and the child.
3. Wear the dress which suits you
This is actually important. Practically a loose outfit will help us to pull up and nurse. It will help you to be confident enough to nurse no matter what who is nearby and where Re you. Try different options and fix which fits you no matter who taunts you. In the end of the day, your baby and you should be convenient and comfortable.
4. Make yourselves comfortable 
Earlier when you have a newborn you would need a nursing pillow and it really helped in balancing the baby and to keep the baby in the 45 degree angle. Later find a comfort zone might be a favourite chair or sofa. I had an arm chair which helped me a lot to balance between the nursing pillow a d my body. You can even lie down and nurse the baby. There are many methods. FIND a suitable position and stay comfortable.
5. Seek guidance
When you are carrying your baby get educated regarding breastfeeding and if at all you feel you don’t get milk try to seek help. There are many facebook groups which are supporting breastfeeding. You can either contact a lactation counsellor or a lactation consultant to help you so that you can enjoy the breastfeeding relationships without any discomfort.
These are the tips which I personally experienced and it clicked for us. Now i would request you to share your experiences on breastfeeding.

Best of Alizehmysoul 2017-Hi5!! It’s time for Best 5!!

Its been around 6 months of active blogging and I had a wonderful journey in penning down my thoughts. This 2017 is a learning year for me. I have grown with my baby step by step and now we as a family are welcoming 2018. These 6 months with my blogging as a hobby I have gained wonderful followers and I do get encouragement to work on more on my niche. I just thought would you guys like to know the best of my work. Here I am linking up with some of the Best posts of ALIZEHMYSOUL.

1. Baby Alizeh’s Role in the Environment:

The best one of Alizehmysoul was the post where I wrote about Baby Alizeh’s role in the environment. Here we have discussed about the usage of Cloth diapers and nappies and how she made me to switch to the menstrual cup. We even have discussed about the food grade silicone teethers and why is it eco-friendly.Literally how my daughter is contributing towards the environment to make the place clean and healthy for the generations to come. This article was shared a few times then and I had people write to me to tell me how much it had helped them to realize how can we contribute towards the benefit of the world.

2. Attitude or Gratitude- A Simple note to Parents:

   This post was also written on June 2017. I wrote this because a thought struck on me. “Will babyA think about the efforts I put on her growth?” Will she be thinking about me once she finds her responsibilities? Then a mind voice asked me the same questions! I have combined the things which I did earlier and planned stuffs for the future in this space. It too had a good reach and was happy that I was accepted as a blogger!! To know more about it have a look at here!

3.20th Century Vs 21st Century moms:

This post was written on July in the view of a bloggers marathon and it had a good reach! Many agreed my views on why I supported 21st Century moms are better. 21st century results  are outcome based whereas 20th century is time based. To know what are the evidences I have given please do check my space.

4. Why and How should I register a carseat?:

        This post was a sponsored post but still very important. Here I have discussed about the importance of registering the carseat and the steps to register the carseat. To know more about it please do check out here.

5. Peek-a-P[boo]:

       This is a memorable post and when I wrote about it I got weird look from my husband but now based on the reach we both are laughing out. Can you imagine an article with poops and poops! Here you get an adventure of poop and stages. Few mommies said they were able to rewind how their mommy dates were full of poop talks and the blowouts. To experience the wonders of poop please do click here!!

You can visit the most popular posts by other Muslimah Bloggers below. Each blogger has chosen their five most popular post from 2017. These are the best of the best posts from around the web!

 

JeddahMom

The Imperfect Muslimah

The Lady of the House

By Shahira

Alizehmysoul

Multicultural Motherhood

Umm Afraz Muhammed Blog

A Crafty Arab

Ilma Education

MyBlessedNest

Ilm Student Central

Mommy’s Next Step

AfreensKitchen

 

BFF-BREASTFEEDING FELLAS; BREASTFEEDING FRIENDS FOREVER

We are going to complete our 18 months in a day and l am getting to hear from people around, She is No more a baby! Stop nursing her! If not now then never will she forget. To all the people who say this I just smile back and walk off from the place as I feel, nursing is my duty and almighty has mentioned in the holy Quran to nurse till 2 years comfortably and then wean naturally. Al hamdulilah I am able to nurse my daughter till date. Nursing her I get arrested at times but I feel it’s a good bonding we get to share with joy. The sweet cuddles, the naughty moments and the curvy wavy acrobats she performs since day 1 of her birth can never be tagged even with a million dollars. Who will wish to miss such priceless asset that easily? Isn’t it good to feel that she enjoys the benefits from me as long as she wants to? So when I said I’ll nurse till she self-weans people started to laugh! Did I say wrong? I spoke and convinced her to allow me to baby-wear her. When I say this people mock at me! I don’t care and l have asked her permission till date whether its babywearing or cloth diapering or the undies now. Only since she showed discomfort with the jacket mode ON in a carseat, I was given an opportunity to do my research to learn how to keep her warm. Even now she prefers to be on Undies at home and we are nowhere near potty training. When she can decide on this she can surely decide for herself when to stop nursing too. Through this post I am giving reply to the entire mob out there who keeps on asking why do l still nurse?

Picture courtesy

• It stops tantrums
• It makes their bad moment to a good one
• It prevents and shortens the illness
• A bond between mom and baby grows
• It improves their immunity
• It improves their quality of life
• It lowers cancer risk
• Peaceful sleep of the baby

This post is not to hurt anyone; it’s for those who tend to hurt me.

When a doctor said its time to stop nursing as extended breastfeeding doesn’t pass any energy to the kid I decided to change the doctor. When you get to hear this, it’s best to change the doctor. At whatever age you are nursing your kid, the kid knows to extract the energy from you and it’s the duty of a mom to eat healthy to gain and pass off the energy and make it a vicious cycle. Being in a research environment all my life; the instinct has made me to research and go with the flow.  Al hamdulilah thanks to my mom for this.  Glad that Faru supports me in all my baby decisions. It’s a real gift. During my initial struggles of breastfeeding my sisy helped me and gave me the confidence to get me to this level where I am right now. To the new moms out there, we have a post on the blog to get prepared on Breastfeeding. Please do have a look on it.

Since I have got to hear of negative stuffs on extended breastfeeding, I asked my mommy blogger friends about their views on Extended Breastfeeding. So here is a gist of what they said. Glad I am around the people who have supported my decision always! It’s good to get the positive energy always!!

Rayeesa Rayeesa

I am a mother of 19 months old boy and Alhumdulilah still breastfeesing. For me, the no.1 factor is that Allah has ordered us in Quran to breastfeed for 2 years. It is his right. The second reason being it is great for immunity and brain development.

Ayesha Yakoob Al-Yousuf 

Alhamdulillah, I have nursed all my kids till the age of 2 years because its recommended in the Qura’n “hawlain kamilain’ – two complete lunar years. I didn’t want to wean them off before it was time as it was still their right.I began to wean them ever so gradually only when the time was near. For me what motivated me was the incomparable convenience of breastfeeding. Yes, its convenience. You wont’ be bothered with washing so many bottles, you can instantly comfort them when they are hurt, it’s much easier at bedtime and through the night (although this has to be controlled towards the end) and all this comes with the innumerable benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child including nutritional, psychological and emotional.

Zayeneesha Ayeina

Both of us sisters breastfed our kids till 2 years of age as Allah prescribed in the Qur’an (And we even nursed each other’s kids lol hence making us foster mums to them 💞) – although difficult in the start, it has been a breeze afterwards Alhamdulillah and the benefits of it all couldn’t have made us decide otherwise 💜

Madelon Basher 

 I breastfed my son until 3.5 years. After completing his Islamic birthright we continued until his need was fulfilled. Breastfeeding is so much more then just nursing. Here in Holland there are many misconceptions about breastfeeding in our ummah. One of the reasons I started writing about breastfeeding on my blog.
I am also part of the board of the (Dutch) Islamic Breastfeeding Organisation Halimah. We are there for sisters who want to fulfill the birthright of their children by giving them all the physical, mental and spiritual islamic guidence, support and knowledge they need. Breastfeeding your child is a blessing given to us and it is so wonderful seeing sisters helping and supporting eachother, spreading proper knowledge about breastfeeding all for the same goal. Completing a part of our deen. Breastfeeding is hard work and every sister deserves true support when needed. The breastfeeding period only happens once in a child’s life and it is such a special way Allah subhana wa ta’aala gave us to bond with our children. I am still amazed every time new scientific research shows new benefits of breastfeeding. Even for toddlers and preschoolers the health benefits continue what was one of my reasons to proceed after the 2 years.

Diah Dwi Arti 

I breastfed my first son for only 8 months because I got pregnant with my second son. I had a bad morning sickness at the time so I couldn’t eat well. I decided to stop breastfeed him and it broke my heart. I promised to continue the breastfeed if he asked when his brother was born but he never asked for that. I then breastfed my second son for more than 2 years, about one or two months. Now I have my third son and I’m willing to breastfeed him until he’s 2 years. Why breastfeed them? Because it’s cheaper than giving formula for them. Cheap, healthy, practical. And breastfeeding is a great process to make a bonding between mom and baby. The second reason is breastfeeding is a natural way to birth control. I myself got my menstrual periode 4 months after giving birth. But ofcourse there are many challenges in breastfeeding from the lack quantity to the quality of breast milk. Weaning is also a challenge. I wean my first and second son without any difficulties alhamdulillaah. And I hope so with this third baby. I wrote something about breastfeeding in my blog as well so you are free to check my page.

Weronika Ozpolat

 I breastfed all 4 of my children and currently still breastfeeding the youngest. Although I experienced a lot of negativity for carrying on so long, I managed to continue until near the 2 year mark. Despite negativity, I found breastfeeding easy and the best way to give my babies the nutrition they needed. I think having a supportive husband really helped. There are so many health benefits, even for toddlers. It is also a great way to comfort them. It was a special bonding experience and I am proud I was able to do it.

These lovely mumma bloggers said I am a rockstar and I can nurse my baby until we can!! In shaa allah will nurse until she weans off naturally with almighty’s grace. As I have got support from my friends you will also get support from us all!! Say a hello to your breastfeeding friend from our gang of mommy bloggers!!