Feeding Decisions

Although birth is still many weeks away, now is the time to begin thinking about how you will feed your baby. This is an important decision that has lifelong effects for your baby and for you. What you have seen and learned about infant feeding from your family, friends, and teachers is likely to influence your attitude and perceptions. Whether you definitely plan to breastfeed or you are still uncertain, the research is pretty clear. Your milk is the best milk for your baby, and it is the ideal first food for your baby's first several months.

If you decide not to breastfeed, or are unable to breastfeed, commercial iron-fortified formulas can provide adequate nutrition for your baby. Infant formulas contain adequate amounts of protein, calories, fat, vitamins, and minerals for growth. However, formula does not contain the immune factors that are in breast milk which can help prevent infections.
Helpful hints for feeding your baby:

• Breast milk is best for your baby and is beneficial, even if you only nurse for a short amount of time or part-time.
• Working mothers can use a breast pump on break time and refrigerate or freeze the milk for later use as a bottle-feeding. Refrigerated breast milk should be used within 24 hours after pumping. Frozen breast milk is good for several months in the freezer. Fathers and other family members can be involved in feeding time if breast milk is offered from a bottle periodically.
• Offer cow's milk-based formula with iron as first choice of formula if not breastfeeding.
• Keep your baby on breast milk or baby formula until he/she is 1 year old. After this time, you may change over to whole milk. Children under 2 years of age should not drink skim or low fat milk.