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Babies: 0 - 3 Months
American mom vs Brazilian mom-
Kind of long...but interesting. My blog post for today!
So being that I raised a child in the US for some time, and I have now been in Brazil for a little over a year I have noticed many different parenting styles. Even doctor information.
-In the US they have the law where you NEED the carseat to even take your child home from the hospital. Here in Brazil...people rarely use carseats! The mother just sits in the back seat holding said child and the father drives. Now you ask..what happens if you are alone? haha..well..then you walk! (Just a side note: we use carseats!)
-Both my child are formula feeders. I wasnt to fond of breastfeeding. With DD#1 I went back to work VERY soon and with DD#2, I tried..I did! But it just wasnt for us. Anywho...in the US you are told not to give your child anything but formula...unless you have a child with reflux and you add rice cereal. Here in Brazil...DD#2 was having alot of gas and poop issues so the pedi recommended tea and give her water in small intervals through out the day. I thought to myself...NO WAY! We were told NO WATER before 6 months in the US. Wel I researched this topic a little more and they say no water because if they get full on water, they will not drink enough milk and then lack nutrition they need. And there was something mentioned about the electrolights embalance if infants have too much water and that can inflamate the brain and cause death, but that is a small percentage. I also thought...it is quite HOT down here...water does make sense. I give DD#2 a little water everyday...maybe like an ounce a day..and it also seems to help her bowel movements!
**Side note: formula feeding is REALLY looked down upon here in Brazil. EVERYONE breastfeeds. I had EVERYONE in the hospital yelling at me to put her to my breast..Which hurt like a MOFO!! After I didnt have any milk for 3 days..I said Are you HAPPY??? Im bleeding buckets out of my nipples..and she is now getting formula!!
-I heard MANY wivestales through the duration of both pregnancies, but once my DD#2 was born..boy!!! the women in Brazil have the craziest ones:
-If your child's feet are cold, he/she has gas.
-If you rock your child, it will cause them to be a nervous wreck when they get older.
*If you have a girl, it is customary to peirce her ears the day she is born...so bring those earrings to the hospital!
*It is also customary to tape a coin to their belly button once the cord falls off.
-I know there is a huge campaign in the US about SIDS and not having anything in the crib..wether it be pillows/blankets/stuffed animals. And you must put them sleeping on their backs. Well here in Brazil...every newborn must have a pillow...and about a thousand blankets! And they pretty much put them to sleep any kind of way. Stomach if they have a lot of gas...on their side if they just ate..and back well..just when you feel like it.
-Daycare under the age of 3 is VERY frowned upon. If you worked before child, well you dont really go back..or you just didnt work and SAH. I myself put DD#1 in daycare in the US at 5 weeks..because I had to go back to work. And She is now in daycare half a day here. DD#2 has no reason to go to daycare now..but I will be returning to the working world soon...and she will go to daycare. I think it really helped my first daughter socialize and shes learned how to eat better normal food...and shes even eating by herself with spoons. Her vocabulary has tripled since being in daycare her ein Brazil, and overall she just seems much happier to get out and play with children her own age.
-Another BIG difference I've noticed, is that the US moms say NO to juice, soda, anything with sugar really. And No milk until one year old. Well here...your crazy if you dont give your child juice...and pretty much by the age of one...your child is asking for some of your Fanta! Lighten up folks!
-Allergy differences: in the US I was told no honey, peanut butter, milk, eggs until the age of one. Psshh...here they heard no such thing. Once your child start human food..5-6 months they put honey on bananas...they are giving them scrambled eggs for breakfast and milk with chocolate nesquick for snack. So why is it such a concern in the US and not in Brazil?
It just goes to show you that you will hear many things on how to raise your children wether its from the doctor or your family, But it's really your decision at the end of the day.
This discussion has been closed.
Re: American mom vs Brazilian mom-
thats interesting.
Brazils infant mortality rate is also a lot higher than the US...but to each their own.
Interesting you mentioned that, since although Brazil's infant mortality rate is higher, America's isn't all that great in comparison to other countries around the world. There are 46 other countries in the world with a better infant mortality rate than us (including Cuba, which probably lives a similar lifestyle to this), so maybe the OP has a point, which is that people go way overboard in the US and it really doesn't help all that much.
My SIL (brother's wife) is Brazillian (born & raised in Sao Paulo), and there is *definitely* a difference in parenting styles and practices. Many of which I do NOT agree with whatsoever.
Not sure if it's a cultural thing or just her, but I'll just say that my 5 year old niece still drinks bottles daily, and my almost 2 year old nephew just recently learned how to hold his bottle himself a few months ago.
And did you know that Brazil has one of the highest c-section rates in the world? SIL had to actively seek out a doctor that would allow her to deliver her kids not only vaginally, but naturally. Scheduled c-sections are all the rage.
Other than that, I love the Brazillian culture.
I am not knocking Brazil BUT the reason the US infant mortality rate is so high is because we deliver so many babies pre-term and attempt to keep alive babies who in other countries would have no shot at life.
TTC #1- unexplained...lost left ovary 4/07 IUI #1 2/10/09-BFN IUI #2 3/5/09-BFN IVF # 1-BFP
TTC#2- FET 4/7/11 BFP, Natural mc 5/5/11 IVF#2 ER 9/13/11, ET 9/16/11, Beta #1 9/27/11 BFP 254 Beta #2 9/30/11 793 -Twins!