At just 3 weeks old, baby Amara Chiedozie can hold her feeding bottle...and her mum, 20 year old student Onyi Chiedozie, claims she's been doing this since was just three days old. How is this even possible? Her mum explains;
‘When we were feeding, she started shaking, then she just grabbed the bottle. She was holding it by herself. We couldn’t believe it because babies don’t normally do it that young. I’m so shocked that I have been documenting it every day. It’s unbelievable.
"When she doesn’t want it she will push it away. She isn’t strong enough to throw it away, but she does push it, like she does with her dummy. If she is really hungry, she starts shaking. Then she will just grab the bottle as you give it to her.’ Continue...
Onyi, who is a single mother and lives in Essex, UK, says she makes sure she is always watching her daughter when she is feeding herself.
‘Sometimes I hold her or sometimes you can prop her up with a pillow and give her the bottle. I’m always watching her – I don’t let her out of my sight.’ she said
According to UK Daily Mail, Amara weighed 6lbs 3oz when she was born on August 3 at Queen’s Hospital in Romford. Onyi said her baby's progress astounded medical professionals.
‘Even nurses are really surprised. When my health support nurse came, she was shocked as well. She couldn’t believe that this could happen. Whenever we go to appointments, we take pictures of her doing it. The midwife and even the doctor we had an appointment with on Saturday were actually amazed. They couldn’t believe it.
Onyi, who also breastfeeds Amara regularly, said:
‘The breastfeeding is better now – it’s comfortable. It used to be painful and sore before but it’s good now. When she breastfeeds she is touching and holding on to me. It’s a really nice experience and way to bond.’ Babies are usually able to hold a bottle unaided from around six months.
Meanwhile there's a warning against letting babies feed themselves. Parents’ charity NCT warns;
‘If you give your baby a bottle, always hold the bottle and your baby whilst feeding. It’s not safe to leave babies to feed themselves or to prop up a bottle; if they choke they won’t be able to push the bottle away.’
The charity also warns that babies can choke on something as small as a grape and should not be left alone while feeding or eating
