Feeding Newborns - Starting Off Right

There are many choices to make when it comes to feeding newborns. Some of these choices will have long-term effects on both you and your newborn baby.

The most basic of all the newborn feeding questions is...

"Will I choose breast feeding or formula feeding?"

Click here for detailed pros and cons of breast feeding vs bottle feeding.

Having a baby is one of the most wonderful things in
your life, as well as the hardest thing in your life."
Nuno Bettencourt

Many women don't even have to debate this infant feeding question in their minds. Their family upbringing, culture, health, or current circumstances have already influenced them one way or the other.

Perhaps you are "on the fence" and just don't know what you should do for infant feeding. My best advice? Give breastfeeding a try.

Why?

Breast feeding newborns for even a few weeks is beneficial to both moms and babies. If you truly think it's not for you, you can switch to formula feeding. However, you may find that you love it!

Click here to read what other moms have to say about the advantages of breastfeeding (or share why YOU love it).

On the other hand, if you don't even try it, you'll never know...

Your decisions about infant feeding are very personal decisions. Only you know which methods will make you comfortable. We are here to give you as much information as we can so that you can make informed decisions.

If you already know what you are going to do - GREAT! If you will be formula feeding, continue reading. If you have chosen to breast feed, go ahead and skip down the page to the breast feeding section.

"I will be formula feeding my baby."

Whether you have arrived at the decision to formula feed your newborn baby by choice or because of health, set aside any doubts or guilt. Don't allow others to make you feel bad about your infant feeding decision.

Your baby will grow and thrive on formula. With the great advances that have been made in the development of formula, you can be confident that his nutritional needs will be met. The deep bond that you will establish with your baby has nothing to do with the type of milk that he drinks.

Look at some of the advantages when your infant feeding choice is formula:

Easier to understand how much a baby has consumed.
Because formula takes longer to digest, there is generally longer times between feedings.
Mom has more flexibility to leave her baby in the care of others.
Dad and other family members can enjoy the bonding experience that feeding brings.

To be able to meet all of your newborn feeding needs, you will want to be prepared. You will need supplies such as:

Baby Formula - You can sign up for some of the various formula manufacturer's clubs so that you can obtain coupons and baby formula samples. While most of the formulas are much the same, you may find that your newborn prefers one over another, and sometimes the coupons present significant savings. These sites will be an especially good resource if your baby has a sensitivity or allergy to a particular formula.
Baby Bottles - The best baby bottles will be Phthalate and BPA-free bottles that meet any specific needs that your newborn might have. Since babies sometimes seem to have a preference toward a certain type of bottle or nipple, you may want to experiment before you stock up on one particular kind.
Baby Bottle Warmer - These are nice for automatically warming the baby's bottle during that middle-of-the-night feeding, and there are even travel warmers for when you are on-the-go.
Bottle/Nipple Cleaning Products - Sterilization products are thought to be the best way to kill germs and bacteria, but this may not be necessary if you have a dishwasher. Either way, you may want to consider a good bottle/nipple brush and possibly a drying rack.

"I've decided to breast feed."

Good for you! (Literally)

Most women are aware of the benefits of breast milk for feeding newborns, but fewer are aware of how much breast feeding can benefit the mother. You'll feel even better about your decision when you have read about the benefits of breast feeding. Breastmilk is the perfect food for a feeding newborns. While formula manufacturers can try to come close, none can promise the long term health and financial benefits that breast feeding provides for both baby and mom.

While there can be some costs associated with breast feeding newborns (see the checklist below), there is no doubt that formula feeding babies will cost a great deal more over the period of your baby's first year.

Add to that the additional costs of health care and missed work due to greater incidence of illness among formula feeding newborns, and its "no-contest" which one wins out financially.

While breast feeding for any length of time is beneficial, it is recommended that you exclusively breast feed for your baby's first 6 months. At this point, your infant feedings would consist of breastmilk and gradually increased amounts of babyfood.

I breast fed all of my 9 children (7 of them exclusively). At last count, that means that I have spent approximately 125 months breast feeding babies (that's 10+ years!).

There were many rough spots, especially during the first couple of months of feeding newborns. I've had to work through breast feeding problems including sore breasts, many breast infections, struggles to increase milk supply, and even a diagnosis of "failure to thrive".

When my ninth baby couldn't latch properly, my resolve to breastfeed was severely challenged, but I recognized the value in perservering. I ended up exclusively pumping for her, yet I have NEVER regretted my committment to breast feed.

Are you struggling with mastitis or a sore back? Breastfeeding babies can be hard on a new moms body, but there are plenty of simple things you can do to help make this time easier.

Do you have twins? Breastfeeding two babies is no doubt a challenge, but many mothers are very successful in doing so. See this site for more info on breastfeeding and tandem nursing twins.

Some expectant mothers think they would like to nurse their babies, but are concerned about learning how to breastfeed. Others wonder how to make it work when they return to their jobs. Perhaps they have even tried to breast feed in the past, but were unsuccessful. Now they are not sure if they want to try again. If these are your concerns, we can help. Check out the How To Breast Feed pages.

There are a few "accessory" items that can be extremely helpful in breast feeding newborns. Here are some of them...

Breast feeding bras - Makes feeding time easier, and is important for proper support.
Breast pumps - For when you need to be away from your baby and also used to increase milk supply. See my recommendations for the best breast pumps before you make this investment.
A Breast Pump Bra - If you will be pumping regularly, to free up your hands to do other things.
Breast milk storage containers and bottles - if you will be pumping.
Nipple cream - Pure lanolin works well when you need something for dry, cracked nipples (but expressed breastmilk and fresh air works even better - if you are able to do it without the neighbors viewing).
Breast feeding pads - Many women find that they leak between feedings. These inserts slip into your bra to stop embarrassing spots on your shirt.
Breast feeding pillow - A "C" shaped pillow, great for comfortable positioning while breast feeding babies. These also work well for when your baby is learning to sit up.
Breast Feeding Cover - For discreet, infant feeding in public places.
Comfortable Rocking Chair/Glider - Definitely not a necessity, but a wonderful perk!
Burp rags - some babies don't need them at all, some need A LOT!

Time spent feeding newborns can be some of the best bonding opportunities. Be sure to take advantage of this special time with your baby by making it more than nutritional benefit. Treasure it as an opportunity to nurture your relationship.