Feeding

Feeding transcends being a nutritional activity. It provides the first real bonding experience between a mother and child. The baby's feelings of security, love, and trust for the mother are bred through her prompt and diligent response to his feeding needs.

Feeding is, however, also about good nutrition and the healthy development and growth of the baby. Just as it was important for the mother to eat well while pregnant to ensure proper and healthy prenatal growth, it is essential that the mother feed the baby regularly and properly so that the baby has the nutrients needed to grow during his first year. In no other period during one's life is growth and development as rapid and exponential as it is during the first year of life. By the sixth month of life, the baby's weight will have doubled; by one year, it will have tripled. In that same amount of time - 12 months - the baby's brain size will have increased by nearly 50%. Considering these facts, it is easy to see why the nutrition the baby receives in these first months of life is so crucial to his development throughout life.

When to Feed: How often the baby is fed is dependent upon how often the baby is hungry. Most healthy, full-term babies will make their hunger well known. They will feed frequently enough that they have enough food to support their quick growth. During the first few weeks after birth, the baby's feeding schedule will seem disorganized and unpredictable. Soon, however, a regular feeding rhythm will emerge after the mother and the baby have become more familiar with each other.

Initial feedings will be more frequent and erratic. The baby will only have brief, sporadic periods of wakefulness and has a small stomach. These factors make feeding a frequent and unpredictable occurrence. At this stage, the mother should allow the baby to set the pace, frequency and times of feeding.

When to Feed

There are a number of signals that the mother can watch for, that will make feeding more predictable and efficient. The baby will certainly make his hunger known. He will cry due to the discomfort that hunger creates. Because the baby cries to communicate many of his discomforts, including hunger, fatigue, and pain, it may take a bit of time for the mother to develop the ability to distinguish between the cries that relate to each of these.

The mother must feed the baby swiftly when he indicates that he is hungry. If the baby is not fed promptly and is left to cry, he may become so involved with crying that feeding may prove difficult and unrewarding for both the mother and the baby. When the baby becomes this upset, it may take a great length of time for the mother to calm and feed him. Delayed feeding can also foster uncertainty and a lack of trust between the mother and the baby.

When feeding is initiated, the process can take a while. Often, infants may feed, then stop to rest and socialize, and then return to feeding again. In the first couple of months, the mother can expect to feed the baby between eight and 12 times per day. Within a few months, a normal feeding pattern should have emerged. The mother must remember that because the baby is going through such great growth, there will be periods during which feeding increases because the baby is experiencing a growth spurt.

Until a regular feeding and sleeping pattern is established, the baby will likely wake at nights to be fed. The establishment of such a pattern can take anywhere between 2 and 6 months depending upon individual factors such as the temperament of the child, feeding style (i. e. snacking vs. large consumption of milk), and the maturity of its nervous system.

Solid Foods

Sometime between the age of four and six months, the baby will be ready to be introduced to solid foods. Before giving the baby solid foods, the mother should first check with the baby's physician to ensure it is alright. When starting solid foods, it is important to ensure that the food is mashed or strained. This will prevent the baby from swallowing any pieces of food that he may choke on. Usually the first solid foods offered to infants are cereals - rice cereals followed by barley or oat cereals. The next food introduced are strained fruits and vegetables.

The mother will notice that during this time, the baby's sucking reflex will be much weaker and he may be trying to chew on anything he can get his hands on. These are signs that the baby is likely ready for solid food. Also, if the baby seems to be drooling more than usual, he may be ready for food. This signals that he has the saliva production necessary to swallow foods.

The first solid food feeding can be a great experience. The baby's first taste of solid foods can bring a smile and expression to his face that the mother and her partner will remember for years. The baby may resist at first, but eventually he will take solid food from a spoon willingly. The first time the baby is fed solid food, the mother should first feed him how he is normally feeding - whether that be from breast or bottle. The mother should then attempt feeding the baby off a spoon. Place a small amount of food on a spoon and position the spoon between the baby's lips so that he can suck the food off. The mother must ensure not to stick the spoon in to the baby's mouth; this may cause him to gag. The baby will either push the food back out of his mouth or he will happily swallow. If the baby seems reluctant to take a spoon, the mother may try to feed the puréed food off of her finger. This will accustom the baby to the taste of solid foods, and then he will be more likely to accept a spoon.

Burping

When infants are suckling at their mother's breast or are drinking from a bottle, they regularly swallow air. This air gathers in their stomachs and eventually pressure begins to build which makes them uncomfortable, and even pained. Burping the baby after feeding can help release this air and relieve the accompanying discomfort.

Generally speaking, bottle fed infants tend to swallow more air than do breast fed infants. This is probably due to the fact that a better seal is created between mouth and breast than mouth and bottle. If the mother is breastfeeding the baby, there is no need to interrupt feedings in order to burp him. When switching the baby from one breast to the other during a feeding, is when it is best to burp him - in addition to burping him after the complete feeding.

Bottle fed infants need more frequent burping. It is a good idea for the mother to burp the baby after every two ounces of formula that he consumes from the bottle. Also, the mother must pay attention to the cues that the baby is providing. If he stops feeding when he should still be hungry, arches his back, or refuses to open his mouth to accept the bottle, he may need burping.

Because air rises, the upright position is best suited for burping. Sitting the baby up and gently patting him on the back should help to release trapped air. Spit up often accompanies burps. Spit up should not be a concern; it is perfectly normal when burping. The mother should ensure that she is protecting her clothing when burping the baby. The best way to prevent spit up from occurring is to burp the baby regularly throughout feedings, and stopping feeding as soon as the baby slows his eating. This way, the baby does not have a large build up of air to expel at the end of feeding, and has not consumed so much milk that he cannot hold it all and must spit up.

After a big burp, the baby may feel hungry again because space in his stomach that was occupied with air is now free. Thus, the mother should give the baby more time to eat after each burp. The mother can also decrease and prevent the build up of air by taking the bottle away from the baby as soon as it is empty; sucking on an empty bottle only fills the baby's stomach with air.

Cow's Milk

The mother should not feed the baby cow's milk. As stated before, the baby should only be fed breast milk or baby formula until solid foods have been introduced. Infant's intestines and kidneys are not suited to handle cow's milk. Cow's milk contains nearly three times as much sodium and protein than breast milk and formula. The increased levels of protein and sodium place a great deal of stress on infant's kidneys and intestines. Also, cow's milk can cause allergic reactions in infants. The protein found in cow's milk is foreign to infant bodies and can easily cross the permeable intestine and enter the blood stream, leading to an allergic reaction. Finally, cow's milk does not contain the high degree of fat and calories that infants need to grow.

Conclusion

Deciding between breastfeeding and bottle feeding is a tough choice for some women. Just remember that as advanced as infant formula is, there is no substitute for breast milk, which is designed perfectly for the needs of growing and developing infants. If the baby is bottled fed immediately after birth, the mother must remember that she cannot begin breastfeeding after that. Without the stimulation of the baby suckling, her breasts will stop producing milk.

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