Eating is a basic instinct in all animals including humans. Feeding our young is also a basic instinct so it is associated with many deep emotions. Feeding is part of the bonding process between mother or parent and infant. This is why it can be so important if all does not go well. Ellyn Satter understands this in the way she writes about feeding babies. She shows how feeding can be part of the communication between mother and child.
Many books on infant feeding concentrate on what to feed the infant, with emphasis on what foods to give and when. Ellyn Satter takes as her primary focus the feeding relationship. Because Ellyn has qualifications as a dietitian as well as a psychologist she covers much of the what, when and why of feeding your baby. However, she approaches this topic from the important point of view of where the feeding affects or is affected by the relationship between the mother and infant.
Ellyn’s writing style is that of a close friend and professional sharing ideas. She shows why feeding can be like having a conversation with your child, and includes all the little details and stories of her family and those she has worked with.
She covers topics such as ‘Feeding is parenting’, ‘Your child knows how to eat and grow’, ‘Your feeding decisions: Breastfeeding or Formula Feeding’, ‘Understanding your newborn’, and so on, with detail up until your child is 3 and then to 5 years old.
Ellyn has a website www.ellynsatter.com with information about all of her books, printouts and information. It is a good place to visit.
Ellyn’s information is useful for parents so they do not feel alone in dealing with all the little issues that parents face every day in feeding their children. But it is also good for professionals to add the relationship aspect to their professional advice.
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