| Babies’ nutritional needs are met completely through
mother’s milk or iron-fortified infant formula until they are
about six months old. The National Association of Pediatric
Nurse Practitioners, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the
World Health Organization recommend that all infants be
exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. Mother’s
milk is the ideal nutrition and is quite sufficient to support
growth and development during this time. Your health care
provider may recommend a Vitamin D supplement for your
exclusively breastfed infant. Around the age of four to six
months, babies begin to observe and mimic their parents’ or
other caregivers’ eating habits. At this point, the baby may be
ready to graduate to “complementary” foods. |
| Always feed your baby on demand and not
on a schedule that has been laid out by anyone. On an
average, a baby requires up to eight feeds in a day. But
there is no need to worry if your baby is taking less or
more than this amount. If your baby is gaining weight
proportionately, it means that the food requirements are
being met. You need to sense when your baby is full by
recognizing when they pull away. Likewise when they are
hungry, they will definitely show some signs of
discomfort which given time, you will learn to associate
with hunger. If you are bottle-feeding your baby, ensure
that the bottles are always sterilized so as to avoid
any kind of infection. The milk should also be warm and
not hot. It is essential to burp the baby after every
feed and it is normal for them to bring out some of the
milk after feeding is over. |
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