My parents personally attended Nathan Viskin´s, M.D. consultation on my behalf since 1984, the same for each of my two sisters.
When we moved from the city they still were able to search through his book “Pregunte a su bebé” (Ask your baby) and recently, when my baby was born, I decided to contact him but first I thouroughly read the same book to take notes and interviewed him for my radio show (listen to the spanish podcast from 05/02/16)
The book is simple, repeating its philosophy on and on. It is also full of facts addressed to M.D. and teachers and full of examples and cases for parents in need of reassurance.
PURPOSE OF THIS PHILOSOPHY
Rational and comfortable raising
for a better parent-child relationship
now and in the future, based on
Understanding, Tolerance and Respect.
Rational and comfortable raising
for a better parent-child relationship
now and in the future, based on
Understanding, Tolerance and Respect.
NEWBORN
Must be with the mother in less than 12 hours from birth for breast feeding -even if there´s no milk or with the feeding bottle if the mother decides not to breast feed.
When to feed? Ask your baby.
How long to feed? Ask your baby
How much? Ask your baby.
Viskin´s Schedule is called a Non Schedule.
AT HOME: FEEDING AND CRYING
(Memorize this routine and you´ll be free of that slavery feeling or that pious sacrifice sensation in less than 3 months. Otherwise, you´ll think you manage your baby and he/she will rebel soon).
1.- Baby wakes up and cries.
2.- You HOLD ON to learn to tell apart from:
a) temporary cry: now and then would be over in less than 10 minutes (9 1/2 minutes could be possible,. Believe me it´s not a hunger cry, It could be for boredom, little discomfort, a mechanism to fall asleep or his/her interpretation of new sensations –these shall pass).
b) increasing cry mantained for over 10 minutes.
c) different sobbing, loud crying, on and on in different long time lapses (Check on his diaper? Cold? Hot? Enviroment? Freedom of movement? Fever? If not any of these, check with the paediatrician)
3.- If its case "b", clean your breast with water and nothing more.
4.- Sit comfortable with a leg on a stool so you can rest your arm.
5.- Place your baby on your arm which is on your raised leg.
6.- Hold the nipple bettween two fingers like a hairpin and offer to your baby.
Alternate between breasts (why? pp. 39)
WEANING
When the milk runs over (M.D. could tell) or when the baby asks for food more frequently.
How? One breast for 10 minutes then offer the feeding bottle. WITH NO SUGAR ADDED.
FEEDING BOTTLE
It´s a tool for feeding not to calm, shut up or make him/her sleep. It is offered at the table where the rest of the family have its meals.
CRYING: SLEEPING, FEEDING, NEWNESS
Crying after being fed? Lie him/her face down and wait. If he/she is not hungry he/she´ll fall sleep on their own or remain awake doing nothing (what can a newborn could do anyway?)
Still crying past 10 minutes? Offer more milk as dessert.
New cry past 10 minutes? Offer water or not sugared tea as dessert.
(why on Earth would I let my infant cry his/her eyes out? pp. 41)
As he/she grows up choose a deadline for his/her bedtime. 30 minutes before such guide your child subtly, chat, read to them, in sum, make this a happy and desirable event, then say “good night” and leave the room with no guilt or withdrawal.
Our children would learn to cope with this small frustration and would be able to handle their emotions in the real world.
LULLING, ROCKING AND HOLDING
Let those things happen only and only when the physical contact would be enjoyable to both not for calming his/her (AND YOUR) anguish.
(What the heck! When I´m allowed to treat my baby as a baby? Pp. 106)
As Nathan Viskin, M.D. says “Our child is an individual, independent, respected and estimulated to be self sufficient".
THUMB SUCKING
Let it be! Year and a half old he/she would naturally leave it. Your constant fight against it would only make it last.
OTHER FOOD
When he/she turns one month offer the tip of a small spoon between each breast feeding. Separate flavors. Smash the food. DO NOT LIQUEFY.
(But babies don´t need food/they can´t chew/it alterates their evacuation! pp. 84)
WEEK BY WEEK
Increase the portion on the spoon each day
Increase the portion on the spoon each day
Week 1
|
First milk of the morning
|
Plus a tip of a spoon of natural smashed cereal or grains
|
Week 2
|
Continue the flavor offered with the first milk.
Second milk of the day
|
Plus ½ a spoon of smashed banana
|
Week 3
|
Continue flavors offered with their respective milk session.
Third milk of the day
|
Plus a spoon of smashed apple.
|
Week 4
|
First milk of the day
Second, third and fourth milk of the day with the known flavors
|
Plus ¼ of spoon with boiled egg yolk (for 3 minutes)
|
Week 5
|
Same flavors in their respective order with their milk sessions
|
Plus one week at a time for each vegetable. By month 5-6 present meat or those flavors in your family meals that can be smashed
|
Day 30: Banana
Day 71: Broccoli
Month 7: Broccoli
WHEN HE/SHE SITS STRAIGHT UP
Sitting on his/her highchair, the plate infront of him/her, you offer the spoonful even he/she uses his/her hands. The moment your child takes the food with his/her hands and takes it to the mouth you stop offering the spoon. DO NOT OFFER THE SPOON EVER AGAIN. Now your child knows how to feed him/herself. He/She would do it when he/she wants it, the amount he/she wants and in his/her own messy way.
A year old: Present a plastic cup (not a training bottle) before the feeding bottle until your child gets comfortable and grabs it.
Fifteen months old: He/she will want to imitate the use of fork, spoon and knife. (Let this be a learning process NOT a backstep where he/she looses Independence so you can take this tools to his/her mouth for the sake of speed and tidiness)
(But if he/she looses weight or gets sick? P. 124
(But if he/she looses weight or gets sick? P. 124
When the mess would end? In some months soon and you´ll witness his/her brilliance, willingness and sense of self sufficiency)
5 MONTHS
7 MONTHS
16 MONTHS
20 MONTHS
USING THE POTTY
Healthy babies may or may not poop for 3 to 4 days long. NO EXTERNAL ASSISTANCE NEEDED.
When he/she is able to walk he/she would imitate going to the toilet. Let him/her decide when he/she feels like doing it by him/herself in the potty to use it alone without you holding him/her.
BATHING
Daily baths from the day he/she was born just with gentle and adequate soap and water. No oils nor creams. Only baby powder if need.
(But these products are useful/adorable/a present from grandma! pp. 74)
(The remaining belly button looks weird? Check with your doctor. Usually is alright and not necessary to restrain it from water.
(The remaining belly button looks weird? Check with your doctor. Usually is alright and not necessary to restrain it from water.
My baby´s skin is turning red/dry/irritated/full of zits! Change your bathing products, cloth detergent, cloth´s fabric, test thouroughly water´s temperature or wait until day 15 when you would be able to sunbath your child and the skin will recover naturally).
STROLLING AND SUNBATHING
Since birthday the baby already was exposed to outdoor conditions on the way from the hospital to his/her home. So, with the proper weather and clothes, both of you would enjoy strolling shading places as soon as you feel like it.
(How to overcome babyblue? Loose fear of going for a walk with your baby!)
15 days after his/her birth expose them to naked sunbathing: 5 minutes face down, 5 minutes face up. When it´s done, rub his/her body with a cold soaked towel.
(Is this doctor crazy! No. You see, direct sunlight -not through a window, umbrella or curtain, makes UV rays activate the skin natural protection. You may read about other scientific proven benefits as well as the usefulness of the temperature shock with the soaked towel. pp.78)
(Is this doctor crazy! No. You see, direct sunlight -not through a window, umbrella or curtain, makes UV rays activate the skin natural protection. You may read about other scientific proven benefits as well as the usefulness of the temperature shock with the soaked towel. pp.78)
The baby would be stronger, healthier and less propense to the flu.
CREEPING, STANDING UP, CRAWLING, WALKING
From the fourth month the baby eats what the family does between his/her milk.
Sleeps all night long face down (what? yes! since the day he/she was born was able to turn the head to breath whenever he/she feels like changing position) so he/she may sleep at their own room but not in total darkness.
If he/she cries on their own, pat gently his/her back or feed them water. RESTRAIN FROM HOLDING THEM, LULLING OR BRING THEM BACK TO YOUR ROOM.
You´ll see in a few days how he/she cries less (if healthy) because he/she is able to crawl around the crib and entertain alone, gaining strength on their neck.
NEWBORN
2 MONTHS
6 MONTHS
7 MONTHS
10 MONTHS
18 MONTHS
26 MONTHS
Source:
VISKIN, Nathan. “Pregunte a su bebé”. Ed. Pax México, Librería Carlos Césarman, S.A. 1ª Ed. 1976.
References quoted from: 11ª Edición.
Available in spanish: 13ª Edición. ISBN 9688602302
PROLOGUE TO THE BOOK
This book addressed to parents pretends to help the child, that future citizen that we all want physically and emotionally healthier.
I´d feel the urge to shout against some barbarities comitted nowadays, even the existence of all the treaties about psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, etc. In either case they´d been read but not comprehended, otherwise they would change in practice children´s formative education.
I´d feel the necessity to bring parents, doctors and teachers a technique and a philosophy for handling the child which, by it´s simplicity and logic, would be coherent with knowledge science offers.
Raising the child might and should be a constant source of pleasure and spiritual ease for both, parents and himself. Therefore, parents might learn how to enjoy their children without guilt and anguish. Not to “suffer” with success but to enjoy, understand and guide them, happily and respectfuly to superior goals.
-Nathan Viskin, M.D.
Who is Nathan Viskin Stichman, M.D.
He was born on 1923 in a town at Kovno, Lithuania. He lived his childhood in a nice mexican city called Orizaba, Veracruz, where he studied until high school. In 1942, he entered medicine school at Escuela Nacional de Medicina from UNAM (Autonomous National University of Mexico for its name in spanish). From 1949 to 1950 he practiced paediatrics at Child´s Hospital form Mexico City and in 1951 at Paediatrics Department of Sinai Hospital of Baltimore, Md., in United States. From 1952 he practiced in Mexico City, attending private patients, applying his theories succesfuly, as many patients and parents may confirm. A whole generation raised in a serene enviroment where family relationships of mutual respect made a happy masterpiece which should be our children´s education.
Update: On February of 2015 he attended a homage on his behalf organized by Centro Deportivo Israelita (Israelite´s Sport Center) in Mexico City where hundreds of patients and their families shared their thoughts on his lifechanging philosophy.
He died in 2018.
You may Google his phone number and adquire from his wife his DVD about Ask your baby.
He died in 2018.
You may Google his phone number and adquire from his wife his DVD about Ask your baby.
