refreshing chat with SIL re babyrearing practices

[1blueheron]

I'm always curious about how things are done elsewhere, and I have a SIL from northern India. Tonight I quizzed her about how babies are reared there. She said it's just "common sense" that moms take 30-45 minutes to nurse a baby down to sleep at night, babies sleep in bed with their parents until they're 3 or 4, and everybody breastfeeds for at least 9 months. She related some weird stuff about first foods, etc (well, weird to me!) but it was nice to hear that it's common sense to comfort babies!!

Just thought I'd share, since it was a refreshing change from talking to moms who either CIO or contemplate CIO. SIL said she is puzzled/quietly horrified by some of the things she sees in America, like newborn babies with their own rooms.

[tzs]

i'm so curious what the weird food stuff is?????

[1blueheron]

Originally Posted by tzs

i'm so curious what the weird food stuff is?????

mainly I found the idea of khichri (moong daal and rice) a weird first food - just seems like daal is a lot to take on for a baby

[tzs]

well, sometimes it's alot to take on as an adult, yk?

funny thing, my babe seems to handle some foods way better than i do. i mean, she can eat chili with beans with no adverse "effects" and i feel it all day.

[MsVyky]

My DD (9.5 mo) scarfed daal just last week. She LOVED it. LOL.

[P.J.]

Yeah, mild dahl would actually seem like a really healthy early food.

EC is also common practice in India. I think in the middle class now it's a sign of affluence to use dipes, but I've been to India and all the babies you see running around are bare-bottomed. Before I knew of EC I used to think it was b/c they're too poor to afford diapers, but nope...they just don't need em!