Prepared by
Beth Reames, PhD, LDN, RD,

Diane Linder, EdD, LDN, RD
and

Donna Montgomery, MS

Don't cut out foods to try to lose weight quickly. Wait until after weaning your baby to start a weight loss diet.

Table of Contents for Maternal & Infant Nutrition Introduction Go For a Healthy Pregnancy Prenatal Weight Gain Foods for Two - Baby and You Smoking, Drinking and Doing Drugs Can Hurt Your Baby Fast Foods Snacks Smart Food Shopping Infant Feeding From Birth to One Year Review questions Back to Nutrition Curriculum Lessons

Infant Feeding From Birth to One Year

What is nature's first fast food? Mother's milk, of course. But, you can either breast or bottle feed your baby. This is an important decision for you to make and feel good about. Milk is the only food a baby needs for at least four to six months. Breastfeeding is best for the baby's physical and emotional development. Mother's milk is clean, wholesome and provides natural immunity
which protects the baby against illnesses. The protection against illnesses cannot be found in any kind of formula. Some other formulas are made from soy-based products. Anytime you use formula, you increase the potential for allergy.

Mother's milk is always ready to serve and made just for babies - a true fast food.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is more convenient than bottle feeding. There is no preparation or storage involved. You don't have to worry about taking bottles with you or keeping them cold! It costs more to bottle feed a baby than to breastfeed.

Mothers who breastfeed must eat a good diet and more food than when they were pregnant. However, the cost of the extra food needed is much less than the cost of formula. The WIC program gives food assistance to nursing mothers.

What you eat while you nurse your baby is very important. You'll need foods normally required by your own body plus extra food to make milk for your baby. Eating a balanced diet after the baby comes is just as important as when you were pregnant.

A variety of foods is needed for good health. These foods supply the basic nutrients needed while breastfeeding your baby. Don't cut out foods to try to lose weight quickly. Wait until after weaning your baby to start a weight loss diet.

• Milk, Cheese and Yogurt - four to five servings.
• Vegetables - three to five servings.
• Fruits - two to four servings.
• Meats, Poultry, Fish, Dried Beans, Nuts and Eggs - two to three servings.
• Breads, Cereals, Rice, and Pasta - six to eleven servings.
• Fats, Oils and Sweets - Use sparingly.

Breastfeeding Tips

Drink plenty of liquids, especially water, juice and milk. Ask the doctor if you need to take vitamin/mineral supplements.

If your baby gets gas or colic from certain foods you eat, such as cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, garlic and onions, try to avoid these until the baby is a few months older.

Most drugs, medicines, alcohol and caffeine will pass into your breast milk. Talk to your doctor about taking medicines while breastfeeding. Alcohol can keep your milk from coming in. If you drink coffee, tea and soft drinks containing caffeine, your milk may be low in iron, and the baby could become anemic. Too much caffeine will also keep your baby awake. Smoking may keep you from making enough milk. Babies that breathe smoke will have health problems.

Nursing Your Baby

Learning to breastfeed your baby will take some practice. If you have questions, ask your nurse for help. Wash your hands with soap and warm water before you handle the baby or your breasts. Nurse your baby when he or she is hungry.

Nurse often. The more you nurse, the more milk you make. Nurse from each breast. At the next feeding, start with the breast that was not used last. If you return to work or school, you can still breastfeed mornings, evenings and weekends.

How to Tell if Your Baby is Getting Enough Milk

1. Baby nurses at least six times every 24 hours.

2. Baby swallows while nursing.

3. Breasts feel softer after nursing.

4. Baby wets six or more diapers every 24 hours.

Bottle Feeding Your Baby

Cleanliness is very important, particularly washing hands thoroughly with hot soapy water after changing diapers and before feeding the baby. Bottles, nipples, water and equipment used for preparing formula must be boiled. Boiling kills germs that can make babies very sick.

Breastfeeding is best, but babies who are bottle fed will grow and develop normally. Infant formulas have been developed that are similar to mother's milk. Most are made from cow's milk and have vitamins and minerals added to meet babies' needs.

Always use a prepared formula when bottle feeding a baby. Evaporated milk mixed with water and sugar does not provide all the nutrients a baby needs to grow. The doctor will recommend a suitable formula for the baby and give instructions for preparing and feeding it. Babies who are allergic to formulas made from cow's milk can usually take special formulas made from soy protein. It is important always to use a formula with iron. use of soy-based formulas have increased to minimize allergic response to cow's milk, but there has been an increase in allergic response to soy-based formulas. Breast milk contains human protein while cow's milk and soy-based formulas contain protein from other species. Animal and plant proteins are considered foreign by the body and increase the risk of the development of allergies.

Hold your baby when bottle feeding. This gives the baby a feeling of love and security and is important for the baby's emotional development.

Preparing the Bottles

Wash bottles and nipples in hot soapy water. Rinse well with clean water and squeeze water through nipple holes. Bottles and nipples should be sterilized until the baby is several months old. To sterilize, place bottles in a deep pan, cover with water and boil for 10 minutes before you measure the formula into the bottle. Measure correct amount of cool tap water you have boiled 5 minutes to mix with powdered or concentrated liquid formula. If making bottles first thing in the morning, let cool tap water run a few minutes before using, to reduce lead concentration.

Measure exact amounts as directed on the label. A formula that is too strong or too weak can be harmful to your baby. Store bottles and unused formula in refrigerator. When ready to feed, warm the bottle of formula to body temperature in a pan of hot water. Do not warm the bottle in the microwave. Hot spots in the milk can burn the baby's mouth.

Feed your baby when he or she is hungry, usually every two to four hours at first. Babies usually take one to four ounces at a feeding. Hold your baby closely in your arms when you give the bottle. Keep the bottle tilted so the nipple is always filled with milk.

Don't prop the bottle in bed and leave your baby. Talk or hum softly while you feed the baby. Throw away any formula your baby doesn't finish. Don't refeed from the same bottle until it's been washed and sterilized.

You may offer the baby only boiled, cooled water between feedings. Babies are too young for soft drinks.

Infant Feeding Guide

The following is a general guide to introducing solid foods to your baby's diet. Follow your doctor's advice about adding solid foods.

Birth to three months: Breast milk or formula only

Four to six months: Start infant cereals

Five months: Introduce vegetables and juices

Six months: Introduce fruits

Seven to eight months: Introduce plain meats

Nine to 12 months: Begin introducing some table foods

When feeding solid foods, use a spoon instead of an infant feeder. Infant feeders give babies too much food, causing them to gain weight too fast.

Introduce vegetables before fruits so that the baby doesn't refuse vegetables in favor of sweet-tasting fruit.

If juices are too strong for the baby's stomach and cause diarrhea, dilute them with water until the baby is older. Avoid putting babies to bed with a juice or formula bottle. This promotes tooth decay.

When giving baby meat, offer plain, baby food meats. Don't give meat mixtures until the baby is older. Avoid baby food vienna sausages because of the danger of choking.

When table foods are introduced, make sure they are chopped into small pieces that won't get stuck in baby's throat. Avoid larger round foods, such as grapes, hot dogs, popcorn and other items that can easily block the baby's windpipe.

Don't offer cow's milk, eggs and orange juice until the baby is one year old. Offer honey after one year of age.

Summary

Many factors work together to ensure that a baby is born healthy.  Some of these include prenatal care, pregnancy diet, pregnancy weight gain and avoidance of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. 

Web Sites to Visit

www.babycenter.com   This site contains lots of good information. You could spend hours here.  Be sure to click on Tools & Calculators and take some of the short quizzes offered on nutrition and one of the other topics such as finance.