What do I need to know about feeding my new baby?
For the first six months of life, your baby needs only breast milk or infant formula to eat. Breastmilk
contains a unique mix of fatty acids, lactose, amino acids, vitamins, minerals,
enzymes, and other important factors that combine to make the perfect infant
food. It has everything a baby needs for easy digestion, brain development, healthy
growth, and protection from illness. Find out more about deciding between breastfeeding
and formula feeding and about feeding your newborn.
You should know that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) states that [1]:
- Breastfeeding is best for all infants, even premature and sick babies, with rare exceptions.
- Newborns should be nursed when
they show signs of hunger, like being more alert or active, mouthing, or rooting. By
the time a baby is crying from hunger, they have already
been hungry for a while. In the early weeks, newborns
should nurse about 8-12 times every 24 hours, usually for
about
10-15
minutes
on each breast.
- Breast milk alone is the ideal food for the first 6 months of life. If you wean your baby before 12 months of age, give an iron-fortified formula. The formula should be iron-fortified to prevent anemia (low blood count). Don't start cow's milk until your child is one year old. Cow's milk does not have the vitamins babies need. There is generally no need to give your breastfed baby water, juice or other foods in the first 6 months.
- Breastfeeding should ideally continue for at least 12 months, and as long after that as both mother and baby want to keep on nursing. (The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding
for two years or more.)
- Mother and baby should sleep near each other to make breastfeeding easier at night.
- Breastfeeding has important health benefits for babies,
such protecting against diarrhea, ear infections, bacterial meningitis,
and possibly also SIDS, diabetes, obesity and asthma.
-
Breastfeeding is healthy for mothers. It can
reduce their risk of ovarian and breast cancer, and osteoporosis
and hip fractures
post-menopause.
-
Adoptive mothers can breastfeed, and pediatricians should talk
to them about the benefits of this
option.
Read the full AAP policy statement on breastfeeding and the use of human milk or the press release about the recommendations.
A special note to parents of babies who are
dark-skinned and exclusively breastfed (no formula and limited
solids): Your
baby may benefit from taking vitamin D during the first
year of life [2].
Dark-skinned, breastfed babies can get rickets (weak
bones) from a lack of sunlight during the winter. Our bodies
use
sunlight on our skin to make vitamin D. In the winter
when the sun is
low, babies don't go outside as much, and we bundle them
up, so their bodies have less chance to make the vitamin
D they
need
for strong bones.
Talk to your baby's doctor about vitamin D supplements.
Is it safe to prepare formula with well water?
Formula and food prepared with well
water may cause nitrate poisoning [3] .
If you use well water, have it tested regularly for nitrate content,
and
consider that it’s safest to breastfeed your baby. Even
when mothers take in very high levels of nitrates, a breastfed
baby is not at risk. Find out more about the
role of dietary nitrate in food and water from the AAP.
How can I get breastfeeding information and support?
How do I know if my baby is getting enough to eat?
Keep track of your baby's wet and poopy diapers. Once mom's milk comes in, the theory of "what-goes-in-one-end-comes-out-the-other" works. If your baby has 4-6 wet disposable diapers (or 6-8 cloth) and 3-4 poopy diapers in 24 hours that usually means they are getting enough milk. Talk to your baby's health care provider at your office visits about your baby's growth chart if you are concerned or curious. (See below for online growth chart links.) It is important to remember that as babies get a little older the number of bowel movements per day may decrease. Some breastfed babies have only one bowel movement per week (after about 2 months of age).
How and when do I start my baby on solid foods?
Don't rush to start solids. They will only upset your baby's tummy if
you give them before your baby is ready to digest them. Breast milk or
formula is far more nutritious than any solid you could give your baby. Solid
foods aren't as convenient, anyway! Wait until your baby shows signs
that they are ready. Your baby's health care provider can talk to you
about the signs of readiness. Usually babies are ready around six
months old, and sometimes a little earlier. Your baby's first solid food
should be an iron-fortified rice cereal. You may hear that solid food
will help your baby sleep through the night, but this is a myth. Be
aware of the potential risks to babies of foods prepared using well
water.
Read all about feeding your:
What do I need to know about feeding my 1-2 year old?
At a year old, formula-fed babies can switch to whole cow's milk. It is important to use "whole" milk, because children under two years old need fat for brain development. One-year-old breastfed babies will benefit from continuing to nurse, for as long as both mother and baby are happy with the arrangement. Your baby should be joining you at the table for meals, and be learning about mealtime as family time. Find out more about feeding 1 -2 year olds.
How do I know if my child is getting enough to eat and growing properly?
Is your child following their growth curve? The percentile your child falls into is not so important. Instead, look for steady growth that follows the curve. If you have questions or concerns about your child's growth chart, ask their doctor or nurse practitioner.
- Check out these growth charts to plot out your child's growth.
- Body Mass Index (BMI) is now used to chart kids'
growth. It's not used the same way for kids as for adults,
so read here about how to use it for kids, and check out the
BMI web calculator.
What if I'm concerned about my child's weight?
If
you have concerns, talk to your child’s health care provider.
For more information, see:
How much milk or juice should my little one drink?
If your child doesn't seem to want to eat food, but drinks lots of milk and juice, they may be filling up on calories from these liquids.
Preschoolers
should not drink more than a maximum of 16-24 ounces (2-3 cups)
of milk each day. After age two, give your child reduced fat
milk (skim or 1% milk fat). Even kid's arteries can clog up if
they eat too much saturated fat.
Juice
is not as nutritious as fresh whole fruit. If your child drinks
juice, read the label
carefully, and make sure it is 100% fruit juice. A yummy alternative
to juice is a fruit smoothie made with whole fruit and yogurt
in the blender.
Here are the American Academy
of Pediatrics' guidelines [4] on
giving juice to kids:
- Parents need
to know the difference between 100% fruit juice and juice drinks,
beverages or cocktails, which may contain very little real fruit
juice. These drinks can look like fruit juice, but contain little
more nutrition than soda pop.
- Fruit juice should not be given to infants before 6 months of age.
- Children should not drink juice from bottles or cups that
allow them to consume juice easily throughout the day because
having juice passing over their teeth over prolonged times
can lead to tooth decay.
- Babies
and toddlers should not drink fruit juice at bedtime.
- For children ages 1 to 6, intake of fruit juice should be limited to 4 to 6 ounces per day (about a half to three-quarters of a cup).
- Drinking too much juice can lead to poor nutrition,
diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, bloating, and tooth decay.
- All children should be encouraged to eat whole fruits.
To reduce the amount of
milk or juice your child takes in, try diluting it with water,
and each day gradually add more water until your child is
drinking
plain water to quench their thirst. This will help them make
the change little by little.
What about soda pop?
That brings us to soda
pop. And of course, little ones should not drink soda pop or
other sweetened drinks. Soda pop fills you up with either empty
calories
or artificial
sweeteners, and often contains caffeine. Ask any dentist: it's
terrible for your teeth to have acidic, sugary liquid pass over
them as you drink. Drinking lots of soda pop has been linked to
increased risk of bone loss.
Remember to model good
nutrition habits. If
your family likes these drinks, save them for an occasional, special
treat. Start healthy habits early, and don't introduce your toddler
to soda pop until they are older. Water
should be your main thirst-quencher. Keep filtered water, 100%
fruit juice, and skim milk or calcium-fortified soy milk in your
refrigerator instead of
soda pop. What about picky eaters?
A picky eater can drive you nuts. How do you know if you need to worry? Again, as long as your child has energy and is healthy and growing, they are probably getting enough food. If you are concerned, check with their doctor.
 Find
out more: Listen to a podcast interview with UMHS pediatrician
Dr. Julie Lumeng about Picky
Eaters: Turning 'Yuck' into 'Yum' .
Is snacking okay?
Snacks
are great if your little one eats healthy snack foods. Now
is the time to start healthy snacking habits with your little eater. Think
of snacks as mini-meals, and use them to get more grains, fruits, and vegetables
into your child's diet. Keep healthy snacks ready and available to your kids.
Bring healthy snacks with you on outings, instead of relying on fast food.
Here are some ideas for healthy, no-cook, kid-friendly snacks:
- Cut softer raw vegetables or fruit into chunks. Skewer them onto thin pretzel sticks. To prevent discoloration, dip apples, bananas, or pears in orange juice after they're cut.
- Although it can be challenging getting some children to eat them, vegetables are a child's best friends. Especially when eaten raw, the nutritional value in vegetables can't be beat. Try broccoli or cauliflower flowerets (trees!), carrot or celery sticks, green pepper slices, cherry tomatoes or tomato wedges, zucchini sticks, and more. Cut them into sticks or coins. Then dip them into salsa, hummus, or yogurt dip. These are great alternatives to high-fat dips made with mayonnaise or sour cream.
- Peel a banana. Dip it in yogurt, then roll in crushed breakfast cereal, and freeze.
- Put 1/2 cup lowfat fruit yogurt and 1/2 cup cold 100% fruit juice in a non-breakable, covered container. Make sure the lid is tight. Then shake it up, and pour into a cup. Kids also go for blender smoothies, made with yogurt and whole fruit.
- Using cookie cutters with fun shapes, like dinosaurs, stars, and hearts, cut slices of cheese, low-fat lunchmeat, and whole-grain bread (make sure the first ingredient is “whole wheat” or another whole grain). Then put them together to make fun sandwiches. Eat the edges, too.
- Fill celery with cream cheese. Arrange raisins along the top. Call it "Ants on a Log!"
- Favorite fruits are often grapes (be sure to cut
them in half for kids under age four), apple wedges, and banana slices. When choosing fruit, it's important to remember the many, many options available, including lots of kinds of berries, pears, grapefruit and orange slices, cantaloupe chunks and pineapple. And don't forget about more exotic fruits, like kiwi fruit, papaya and mango, and the fun star fruit (carambola).
What book should I read to help my child develop healthy eating habits?
How
to Get Your Kid to Eat…But Not Too Much, by Ellyn Satter.
This is a book all parents should read, whether their children have eating problems or not. It applies to kids from birth through the teen years. The advice in this book can start your child off with a healthy relationship with food that will last a lifetime.
What are some other feeding and nutrition resources?
Still have questions about this topic? Go to
our survey to ask your questions, and we’ll try
to answer them on an upcoming
YourChild podcast.
|
Citations
Written
and compiled by Kyla Boyse, R.N. Reviewed by faculty and staff
at the University of Michigan
Updated May 2007
U-M Health System Related Sites:
U-M Pediatrics
U-M C.S. Mott Children's Hospital
Our editorial policy
The information and links we provide are reviewed by University of Michigan developmental and behavioral pediatricians and child psychologists who are experts in child behavioral health. In choosing the links we provide, we use strict criteria to ensure that the information is accurate, and the source is reputable. As much as possible, we focus on information that is based on research. In areas where there is inadequate research, we include information compatible with prevailing expert opinion.
This website is updated regularly, but because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, we cannot be responsible for misinformation that may be accessed through the links provided. As always, this website is not a tool for self-diagnosis, and is not a substitute for professional care.
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