Weight-related conditions in babies manifest themselves as soon as the newborn takes its first breath. In Turkey, "how much weight was born?" The health of the baby is evaluated depending on its weight. While babies born underweight are seen as unhealthy or underdeveloped, the prevailing idea is that chubby babies are always healthy.
That's why it seems that mothers are constantly worried about nutrition for their babies. For the newborn, weight gain and development should be monitored in the first 6 months. The baby's failure to gain weight or slow weight gain varies due to different reasons. Genetic factors and health problems may be effective in this. Genetic factors, such as the mother's or father's underweight, change the frequency or duration of the baby's weight gain. Apart from this, inadequate nutrition, gastrointestinal problems of the baby, medical problems such as cleft palate and infectious problems are the conditions that affect weight gain. In these cases, a doctor should be consulted and the necessary treatment should be given.
Apart from these cases, there is a prejudice among Turkish mothers that any baby who cannot gain weight is unhealthy and especially cannot be fed adequately. However, there is extra pressure on mothers.
The baby is expected to gain weight between 600 grams and 1000 grams in the first 6 months, and then the baby's growth slows down compared to the first 6 months. In this case, the baby is expected to gain 400 grams or 600 grams per month. By looking at the height and weight ratio, it can be understood whether the child is adequately nourished or not. Being described as underweight does not necessarily mean that the baby is malnourished or neglected. The questions among mothers are "how much weight has your baby gained?", "why is he so skinny?" Questions like these cause babies to be compared. In fact, if the baby is weak, the mother is seen as inadequate and cannot take good care of the baby. It is especially thought that breast milk is insufficient, and for this reason, foods that make or increase milk are recommended to the mother by her environment.
The aim is that the milk is fatty and the child gains weight. In fact, it is aimed to increase milk supply by creating a certain diet list for the mother or the expectant mother. If they find that breast milk is insufficient, they start supplementary food supplements at an early stage. Below this question There is also the thought that if the baby cannot gain weight, it means he is starving. Thinking that the baby is hungry affects the mother's perception of herself as a "good mother" and causes her to experience inadequacy syndrome. We can say that the mother's perfectionist perspective lies behind the inadequacy syndrome, because having a chubby baby symbolizes being perfect in baby care.
It also triggers the anxiety of not being able to take care of the child. If she is a working mother, this anxiety increases even more. When the baby gets sick, he/she goes into a state of self-blame and reinforces his/her anxiety with sentences such as "I wish I were with you, I would do this...". Every time her baby cries, she blames herself and starts to worry. A baby's crying does not just indicate that he is hungry. Babies also cry when they want to communicate with their environment. By observing her baby's cry, mothers can understand whether she is sick, hungry, or wants someone else.
In cases such as illness and teething, weight gain and loss problems occur. It is normal to eat less during these periods. Apart from this, it is observed that the appetite in babies and children decreases after they are full. Mothers resort to syrups and medicines thinking that their child has very little appetite. Situations such as giving more food than they need in order to gain weight as soon as possible cause babies to become chubby and face obesity at a young age.
Constant feeding may turn into a need for the mother, and this is an example of mothers' obsession with chubby babies. This obsession may affect the mother's mental state, causing changes in her sleep patterns and her communication in social life, because a high level of obsession also means an anxiety disorder at the same level.
Since this subject may constantly be on her mind, she may give up her sleep and constantly try to feed the baby, or simply put, she may lose sleep. Social activities and friendships may be filled with the question "How can I make my baby gain weight?" If the people around him emphasize that the baby is weak, it will also increase the existing anxiety level.
The people around you wonder why this baby is so weak, ours is so weak, and yours? As a result of such words, the pediatrician's words are ignored and the mother sees herself as inadequate. The mother asks, "How will I take care of this child? Can I be good enough?" She will start asking herself questions. Since chubby babies are seen as healthy babies, this causes the mother to have an oppressive and even coercive attitude towards her child.
Since children perceive eating this way as a punishment and a bad thing, loss of appetite develops as a result. Therefore, our duty is to help babies eat on their own by giving them a spoon when they are 8-10 months old and start holding a spoon. It may cause problems that may even affect the communication between the child and the mother in later ages. If the baby grows up as an overweight child, it may cause problems and ridicule among his/her peers. The bond between the baby and the baby may weaken due to feeling inadequate, because the anxiety disorder and gradual depression that occurs may cause the milk to stop or decrease. At the same time, the mother's anxious and tense attitude will be reflected on the child, and reluctance such as not wanting the breast or not sucking may occur.
For a mother experiencing anxiety, this situation will cause the mother to become more psychologically anxious and cause depression to occur or progress as the feeling of inadequacy increases.
The environment's perception of weakness may not always match the mother's perception of weakness. A baby who is underweight may have a high appetite and may also move around a lot. A chubby baby does not always mean a healthy baby.
One of the factors in the formation of today's childhood obesity can be shown as mothers forcing or imposing their children. Since overweight babies cannot move easily, they may experience developmental problems compared to their peers. For example, an overweight child may start walking later than his peers because he will have difficulty walking. Therefore, the baby's height and weight ratio should be taken into consideration and a program should be implemented accordingly. If there is a problem with the height-weight ratio, do you know whether there is an underlying disease or whether you are getting enough nutrition? It is necessary to check.
However, the mother and father should be given detailed information about this issue and regular health checks of the baby should be carried out. In addition, taking into account the mother's psychology, help should be sought if necessary. This process will ensure that the mother and baby bond with a stronger bond and establish this bond on a healthy basis.
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