Feeding Your Newborn
There are many changes that take place when one becomes a parent; there are new things one has to learn and some old things we ‘relearn’. However, this learning doesn’t happen overnight. There will be good times and bad times which every parent and baby will face and survive. How to feed the newborn is the first nutrition decision that will be made for the child.
Some mums are determined to breastfeed their babies, some opt to combine breast and bottle, while others bottle-feed exclusively. Medical experts recommend breastfeeding as the best choice for newborns.
Breastfeeding your newborn has many advantages. Feeding a newborn can be a very rewarding experience and a time to enjoy a real feeling of closeness. Babies get far more than just nutrition from a feeding, they enjoy the cuddle, the comfort and the satisfaction of a full tummy. Breast milk supplies all the required nutrients for the baby not just during the infancy but for a longer run and is considered perfect food for a human baby’s digestive system.
Breast milk contains vitamins and minerals, and all of its components like lactose, protein and fat that a newborn requires. It is easily digested by a newborn’s immature system. It also contains antibodies that help protect infants from a wide variety of infectious diseases, including diarrhea and decrease the chances of the child becoming overweight or obese. Breast feeding is not only advantageous to the baby but the moms as well; they help them burn calories and shrink the uterus helping them to get back in shape.
If the baby is not breastfed, then it will need infant formula milk. Commercial formulas try to imitate breast milk but the exact composition cannot be duplicated. For reasons like mothers returning to work, mixed feeding can be practiced, that is giving the baby formula milk and breast feeding. This can be a way to maintain the breast feeding as well.
When bottle feeding the baby, it is important to keep the feeding equipment clean and the right formula should be chosen. Although baby formula is cow milk based, cow milk should never supplement infant formula because the baby cannot digest regular milk and it lacks the proper amount of some of the important nutrients found in formula such as vitamin C and iron.
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"Feeding a newborn is a big commitment. Here are some rules for feeding your newborn. • Aim to stick with breastmilk as it is ideal for babies. In case breastfeeding is not possible, use formula milk. • Newborns eat 8 to 12 feedings daily, which is about a feeding every 2 to 3 hours. Look for signs like sucking fingers, lip smacking and moving hands to mouth, as these are signs the baby is ready for feeding. • Aim to make a routine for feedings • Expect the baby’s feeding pattern to vary and trust your instincts "
"The side effects of breastfeeding for a mother are: • Engorged breasts due to retained breastmilk. • Plugged milk ducts that make the breasts feel hard or have lumps. • A bacterial infection called mastitis causes breast pain, redness and swelling. • A breast abscess is a complication of mastitis. • Sore and cracked nipples due to incorrect holding of the baby during breastfeeding."
A newborn, on average, drinks about 45 to 90 ml of milk every 2 to 3 hours. At about 2 months, the baby may drink 120 to 150 mL every 3 to 4 hours. At four months, the quantity increases to 120-180 mL per feed. By 6 months, the baby may drink 180 to 230 mL about 4 to 5 times a day.
The time a baby needs to breastfeed depends on your baby, you and things such as your milk supply, your let-down reflex, the speed of milk flow, baby’s latch, baby’s alertness (sleepy or not) and your baby’s gulping. Newborns nurse up to 20 minutes or longer on either or both breasts.
