Dear archie,

Happy to see u again.How r u and advait?My baby is 4 months and2 weeks old now.
We are enjoying lot now.He laughs a lot archie and my job is to take all the pictures u know.

I am feeding him actively.Archie i am going to india by oct lastweek.After baby's 4 th month shot.I am counting days archie.Without anyone's help we made it.

like sudha said my baby also likes fan.but he laughs a lot looking at the fan.He sleeps from 9-12 in the morning.After that i feed him then again he sleeps.After 5 he won't sleep.I bath him at 8pm and he sleeps by 9.For 7 hrs he sleeps.
Everyday i woke up hearing his noise At sharp 4.30am he starts laughing at the fan playing and all.Archie from two days i am seeing that there are two small pillows which i put on the bassinet.he put his hand under that and try to lift the pillows and one toy i hanged it on the other side of bassinet.He kicks the toy then some sound comes.He is scolding the toy and making loud noise.Archie u know i wake up hearing this.But i sit for long time in the bed watching all these.

Time is so fast know.Now i started forgetting all the pains.

Archie my doc she's very strict.She says not to give any food to baby upto one year other than my milk.But in india elders used to give raagi powder and all know.but they add cows milk also.my ped says to add my milk instead of cows milk.She says not to give solid foods.Is the raagi and banana powder come under solid foods.
all these powders we boil first with water then add milk ,but how will we add our milk instead of cows milk.I am confused archie.

Archie could u pls tell me what all things i need to take to india for baby.in plane and also for staying.And archie i am giving him little bit formula now because i have to stay in airports.Doc restricted but what to do.Ihave to give him u know.

Archie pls help me.
bye
take care
revathi Sudha replied. Hi Revathi,
I have not commented on things to carry from US as not staying there :-)

Hey common, don't feel so nervous about BF on airports. There is one simple solution of your problem, express your milk by hand and offer him, for the same you can keep few clean baby bottles ready with you as you will not be able to wash in between.

I am not sure how much you will be comfortable with 'Expressing milk by hand' as must be used with pump but as per my experiecne it is very easy.

When you start from home can express your milk which can be given to him for next 3-4hrs. Then once you can give him formula and by that time almost 57hrs will be passed and you will be feeling heavy breast and this time can use hand to express milk for airport.

I beleive in other countries airport must be having some easy sofas or clean space in rest rooms where you can feed him. I think giving him safe milk is more important then thinking of anything else.

Sudha archie replied. Hello Ravathi,
Glad to hear Krish's progress and needless to say he is growing as he should be, wonderful!

I am a little concerned on strictness of your Dr. May be there are few misunderstandings with used terms by us and Pediatrician.

As far as American Academy of Pediatricians is concerned baby can have solids in stages, 1st stage, 2nd stage and 3rd stage, these are sort of puree stuff or mixed in water, formula or breast milk or you can buy readymade from the shop. Gerber and Beech-nut brands. Get this clarified from your Dr. Krish can have cereals such as oatmeal, rice, rice-banana, rice-apple from gerber or beechnut, you may buy them as a powder and mix according to instruction in water, breast milk (expressin bottle and use to mix the powder) or formula and give it to him.

May be your Dr. means solid means regular food and that can be only given after a year.

Raggi and banana slurry as I imagine for a Karnatik family can be given after 4 months or in 5th months. We started these extra suppliments besides breast milk from his 5th month and both US pediatrian and Indian Pediatrician were OK with that, rather they insisted on. This is because your baby is growing and his needs too, so some supplimental sources of formula or cereals are prefectly fine. Get this clarified from your Pediatrician.

I don't recommend cow milk as you are US based and you can buy formula in tons of quantity. Of course you can buy in India too but it's less feasible for pocket.

I liked your idea of training Krish with formula to make it easy while on long trip to India. I did not do that I had worse time when we were flying to India. Advait drank breastmilk either directly or from bottle, which I expressed once on flight. I think for last 10 hours of journey where I ran out of sterile pump and could not feed on breast he refused to drink formula, only a ounce in 10 hours. I regarded that almost as \";hunger strike\";, hahahah:) But then I taught him to drink formula mixed with breast milk and it went fine.

you can buy ready formula for flight and take large formula bottles say over 48 ozs powder, I will confirm the size after reading on the box at home and let you know. Those bottles one per month, you know how long you will stay and will help buying them.
If you have manual pump you are all set otherwise if on electric pump you should know how to make it functional at home in India.

I recommend to buy diapers as many while going to India. Take your all Krish's medicines all OTC, tylenol and vitaminD (tri-visol) so that you won't need to see Dr. in Idia unless required. Get him vaccinated for Flu before flying.
Our dr. did not wanted to get oral polio while India so make sure if you have to take his 6 months shot in India what type of vaccines are available at your town and or otherwise how will you manage.

you won't need many cloths for krish as your friends and relatives will load you with plenty or you can buy save some space for diapers in your bag. An activity gym can be taken with you. If you stay longer then introduce him Walker in India, they are cute and inexpensive and wonderful to teach them how to walk. I think advait took his steps in 9th month and that was because he was very well trained in that walker since he was 5 months old. Of course we led him crawl from a month and after 11 months he wanted to run after his father so we let him walk although initially they all wobble a lot.

Take care and enjoy parenting.
Archie Sudha replied. Hi Revathi,

Happy to see updates, after reading your, Arti and Veena updates, it looks like all kids are behaving similarly.

Till the time I was at home, even my job was to click photograph whenever he do something different. Just due to this, I complited 3 rolls in just 2 and half month. But now since started working, it has reduced a bit.

I am surprised with your Ped advice specially knowing you are in US. But at the same time as you know there is no alternative of mother milk, if your supply is good enough, find no problem you continuing with BF. During your journey, keep formula and your expressed milk ready. If you are travelling with hubby can even do the BF by covering it with cloths. Nornally I have noticed if you are travelling with small kids, will get front seat.

Check the climate of the place where you are travelling and plan things accordingly.

Regards,
Sudha

PS: What is your son name?