Feeding Time Is a Special Time to Build Love and Trust

Hold your baby so he can see your face when you feed him. Feed him with breast milk or fortified infant formula. Do not feed him solid food yet.

Breast milk is best. It has all the nutrition babies need and protects against food allergies and some diseases. If you have started breastfeeding, keep up the good work.

Parents once thought that feeding solid foods at bedtime would help their babies sleep through the night. Not true! Feeding solids before your baby is ready may trigger allergies and/or cause him to eat too much.

Your baby’s digestive system is not ready to handle foods other than breast milk or infant formula. His tongue and swallowing movements won’t develop enough for solid foods until he is about 4 months old.

Your baby will be ready for solid foods when he can:

• Sit well with support
• Control his head and upper body well
• Turn his head away if he doesn’t like the food or if he has had enough

Be patient with your baby when he wakes up during the night. Night feedings don’t last forever. After this feeding, let him know that it is time to go back to sleep. Place him in his crib, swaddle him, or let him sit in an infant chair. Discourage your baby from playing after a nighttime feeding.

Babies will usually sleep through the middle of the night feeding by the time they weigh about 11 pounds.

Honor Your Baby’s Hunger Cues

Your baby will stop eating when she is full. Don’t try to get her to take more than she wants.

Here are some clues that your baby is full:

• Pushing away the breast or bottle
• Turning away
• Crying and fussing
• Forcefully moving his entire body away from you
• Putting her hands in front of her mouth

Babies are getting enough to eat if they are:

• Growing
• Having at least six wet diapers a day
• Having at least one stool or bowel movement every day or every other day

Most doctors want to know if a baby misses more than one feeding. Something is usually wrong if two or three feedings are missed in a day.

Watch Out!

Stay close to your baby and don’t leave him alone on a table or chair. You will be surprised at how fast he can turn and roll off. Active babies can move or tip infant carrier seats. Always use the safety belts that come with the seats.

Never place a carrier seat on soft, plush surfaces, which could make the carrier unstable and tip over.