Articles Tagged ‘Feeding’
Breast feeding is the best feeding method, although even a newborn can be well-nourished with formula feeding. If you wish to breast-feed, it's important to get a good start. (See "The basics of breast feeding" on page 14.) The sooner you begin, the better. The breast milk produced in the first few days after birth is a thin, watery substance called colostrums. It was once thought that this early milk didn't provide full nutrition. Now we know that the opposite is true: Nature designed this newborn food to have just the right balance of fluids and nutrients and to deliver protective immunity. Babies don't need a lot of nutrition in their first few days, but they do need water and, preferably, the antibodies from mother's immune system that only breast feeding can provide. After several days of nursing, regular breast milk usually comes in right on schedule, bringing the nutrients the baby needs to grow and develop. Whether you breast- or bottle-feed (or use a combination of both),...