Safe Toddler (One Year and Older) Feeding Tips. Page 4 Last Part.

Trick tiny taste buds. 
The taste buds for sweet flavors are found toward the tip of the tongue; the taste buds for salt are on the sides of the tongue; the taste buds for bitter are at the back of the tongue. In the middle of the tongue, the taste buds are more neutral. So it is wise to place a new sweet food on the tip of the tongue, but a new less sweet food on the neutral area in the middle in order to give the food a fighting chance of going into baby instead of coming back out. Veggies, for example, have a better chance of being willingly swallowed if placed on the middle of the tongue rather than on the tip of the tongue, except perhaps for sweet ones, like sweet potatoes.

Give your baby a bone. 
Baby can graduate from a nearly empty chicken bone (sliver bone remove) to one with a decent amount of meat left on it (still no sliver bone). It has great play value (for banging, gnawing on, waving, transferring from hand to hand) to buy you a few more minutes of savoring your own food, and baby may actually east some of the chicken.

Forgive food fears. 
It is normal for some babies to fear new foods. Expect your baby to explore a new food before she eats it. Allow your baby to become familiar with the new food before actually tasting it. One way to encourage the cautious feeder is to place a bit of the food on baby's own index finger and guide his own finger full of food into his mouth.

Enjoy the lap of luxury.
If your child refuses to get in or stay in his high chair, let him sit on your la and eat off your plate. If baby begins messing with your food, place a few morsels of food on the table between baby and plate to direct his attention away from your dinner.

Share a plate.
Let baby eat off your plate. Sometimes babies just don't want to eat like a baby; they'll reject both baby food and baby plates. Around one year of age, babies enjoy sitting on parents' laps and picking food off their plate, especially mashed potatoes and cooked, soft vegetables. Try putting baby's food on your plate and trick the little gourmet into eating his own food.

Assist in self-feeding.

Around one year of age babies enter the "do it myself" stage and may want to feed themselves with a spoon. Most parents find it much easier to feed a baby than to let baby take over the job with her own utensils. Compromise is needed here. A trick to use with the determined self-feeder is to do the job together. The parent holds the spoonful of food, and when baby grabs the spoon, mom or dad continues to hold on and helps baby guide the spoon into her mouth. Take advantage of baby's desire to mimic you at this age. When he sees you using a spoon properly, baby is more likely to try it too.

Safe Toddler (One Year and Older) Feeding Tips. Page 3

Teach table manners.

Babies are born clowns. When a baby drops a utensil or a glob of food, everyone quickly reacts. Baby soon realizes that he is in control of this game and continues to put food everywhere but in his mouth. Shoveling is a familiar dinner-table-clown game. Sometimes the otherwise adept self feeder becomes impatient, shovels up a whole handful of food, and splats the palm full of food half into his mouth and half on his face. Baby continues to gorge and smear until his clowning gets the expected audience reaction. Laughter not only reinforces habit but can be dangerous since baby may laugh with a mouthful of food, take a deep breath, and choke.

The ability to stimulate caregivers to react to one's antics is a powerful enforcer of baby's emerging sense of competence. Enough is enough, however. Reacting too quickly to the messer and flinger only encourages this mealtime clown to continue his performance. Whether you laugh or scold, either way baby takes this as a reaction from the audience, and the performance continues. No comment is the best way to keep this little ham off the stage. If his antics get out of hand, assume he's not hungry and remove his food. Don't expect him to sit still as long as older children can. Even at this early age table manners are learned by example. If he sees the other children (or adults) laughing with a mouthful of food, flinging food, banging utensils, and enjoying all of it, this little imitator will do likewise. Also, remember to praise good manners.

Minimize the mess.

Each new developing skill has its nutritional benefits and humorous nuisances. Baby's newly developing thumb and forefinger pincer grasp and finger pointing stimulates him to want to pick up tiny morsels of food and feed himself, yet it also creates an opportunity for more messes. Allow baby the luxury of messing around a bit with his newly discovered utensils. Believe it or not, baby is actually learning from this mess. While some food makes its way into the mouth, other pieces scatter. Food flinging, dropping, and smearing are usual mealtime antics parents can expect to deal with. Allow a certain amount of mess, but not when it gets out of control. Too much food on baby's tray leads to two-fisted eating and major mess making. To discourage food flinging and give the food a fighting chance to make it into baby's mouth, put a few pieces of O-cereals, cooked carrots, pieces of rice cakes, and any other bite-size pieces of fruits and vegetables that baby likes on his tray. Then, refill as needed. Placing a whole pile of food in front of baby is inviting a mess.

Settle the squirmier.

This trick worked for a baby who would constantly windmill her arms during feeding. Use three plastic spoons -- one spoon for each of her hands to occupy them and one for you to feed her. Also, it's a toy trick. Put toys with suction cups on a high-chair tray so she can play with them with her hands while you spoon food into her mouth. Sometimes when babies open their mouths to such on toys, this primes them to open their mouths to receive food.

Make feeding fun.

Play games, such as the spoon-airplane game. Say "Here comes the airplane" as the spoon makes its dive into baby's mouth.

Overcome lip lock. 

To relax tight lips that are refusing a feeding, back off and over-enjoy the food yourself. Model the excitement by replaying the old reliable "Mmmmmm gooooood!" As your baby watches you open your mouth and savor the food, he may catch the spirit and relax his mouth and his attitude. Use one of your child's favorite foods as a teaser. As he opens his mouth for his favorite food, quickly follow with the food you wanted him to try.

Use camouflage.

Cover more nutritious but less liked foods with one of baby's favorites. Try dabbing a thin layer of applesauce (or other favorite) on the spoonful of vegetables. Baby gets the applesauce on his tongue first and them a scoop of the more nutritious but less liked food on top of it. If he still hates it, forget it for a while.

Safe Toddler (One Year and Older) Feeding Tips. Page 2

Finger Foods
To encourage picking up and eating rather than messing and smearing, place a few pieces of O-shaped cereal, cooked diced carrot, rice cake, or baby-bite-sized pieces of soft fruits on the high-chair tray. Babies also enjoy firmer finger foods for teething, such as teething biscuits. Harder foods, especially teething foods, should have a melt-in-the-mouth texture, dissolving easily while being gummed. You may notice that your baby will be fascinated with a pile of cooked spaghetti placed within easy reach. The ability to pick up with thumb and forefinger enables baby to pick up one strand, shell, or elbow at a time. Pasta picking holds baby's meal attention longer than most foods. Some of the pasta may even make is way to the mouth. If worried about allergies, wait until one year to introduce wheat products such as zwieback, bagels, and pasta. If you know your baby tends toward allergies, you can buy wheat-free teething biscuits and pasta made with rice.

The ability to pick up food also has its hassles. Food and utensils become interesting objects to bang, drop, and fling. This does not necessarily mean rejection of the food or the feeding but reflects baby's natural and normal need to explore new ways to use the newly developed skills of picking up, dropping, and throwing. When it gets to messy for you, simply end the feeding.

Pointing and Dipping
Besides developing thumb-and-forefinger pickup, around ten months babies are using their index finger for poking and social directing -- giving cues to their caregivers. Baby is likely to poke into a new food as if dipping in and tasting it. Capitalize on this skill by making dip. Avocado or guacamole dip (without the salt and heavy spices) is a nutritious favorite at this stage. Remember, each new developmental skill has it nutritional benefits and humorous nuisances. While babies will use their poking finger to dip into food and suck the food off their finger, expect the young artist to begin body painting and finger painting with the food on the high-chair tray. Enjoy this developmental skill while it lasts. And feel free to stop the meal if baby is no longer eating.

Feeding Strategies
Now that you have introduced your baby to the different tastes and textures of his favorite solids, here are some tips gleaned from other family feeding experiences.

Respect tiny tummies. Offer small helpings in frequent feedings. Since babies' tummies are about the size of their fists, they seldom take more than two to four tablespoons of a food at any one meal. Don't overwhelm baby with a whole pile of food on her tray. Instead, begin with a small fist-sized dollop and add more as baby wants more.

Gradually increase variety and texture. For beginning solid eaters, fruits and vegetables should be strained. As babies gain eating experience, they can advance to pureed foods, then to foods that are finely minced. Most babies can begin to accept chopped foods by one year of age.

Avoid pressure tactics. Never force-feed a child, as this can create long-term unhealthy attitudes about eating. Your role is to select nutritious foods, prepare them well, and serve them creatively, matched to baby's individual capabilities and preferences. Baby's role is to eat the amount he want at the time, according to his needs, moods, capabilities, and preferences. Feeding children is similar to teaching them to swim -- you need to find the balance between being too protective or restrictive and not vigilant or selective enough.

Here's a hint: If your baby shuns eating try a bit of group encouragement. Sit baby in a high chair. Let everyone start eating, but don't give baby anything. She will feel left out and wan some food. When she starts reaching for some food, giver her something off your plate. Let her think it's your food, even though it may be her own food on your plate. When she starts eating, don't suddenly put a whole plate in front of her. Let her keep asking for more, and give her only one or two bites at a time. This way, baby feels in charge of deciding to eat on her own.

Expect erratic feeding habits. There may be days when your baby eats solids six times, or she may refuse solids three days in a row and only want to breastfeed or take a bottle.

Safe Toddler (One Year and Older) Feeding Tips page 1

* Avoid stringy foods such as celery and string beans.
* Pick out fish bones before mashing fish. In canned salmon, mash the bones.
* Safe and natural frozen teethers are bananas or any melt-in-the-mouth frozen food.
* Avoid commercial white-bread preparations; they form a pasty glob on which baby could choke.
* Spread nut butters well, instead of offering baby a chokable glob.
* Check the chunks. Babies' front teeth are for biting only. The molars -- chewing teeth-- don't appear until after the first year. Babies still gum rather than chew.
* Offer finger foods only under supervision and when baby is seated, not when reclining or playing.
* Scatter only a few morsels of finger foods on baby's plate or tray at one time. Too much food in a pile encourages whole-handed gorging rather than individual pickup bites.
* Hot dogs are neither a nutritious nor safe food for babies. A bite of a whole hot dog is just about the size of a baby's windpipe, and baby may choke. Healthy nitrate- and nitrite-free hot dogs are a favorite of toddlers, and they can be safe if sliced lenghwise in this, noodle-like strips. Even these "healthy" hot dogs can be high in sodium, so limit them.

Safe and Favorite Finger Foods
O-shaped cereals                                 cooked peas (dehulled)
rice cakes (unsalted)                            pear slices (very ripe)
diced carrots (well cooked)                   apple slices (cooked well)
whole wheat toast (remove crust)          pasta pieces (cooked)
scrambled eggs                                    tofu chunks
french toast                                         green beans (well cooked, no strings)
avocado dip or chunks

Chokable Foods
nuts                           raw carrots
seeds                         raw apples
popcorn kernels          whole grapes
hard beans                 unripe pears
hard candy                 stringy foods
meat chunks

Feeding Solids: Nine to Twelve Months
The previous stage was mainly to introduce your infant to solids -- baby used to the transition from liquids to solids, from sucking to mouthing, and chewing food. Most beginning eaters dabble a bit with foods, eating only a small amount of a few select solids. Breast milk and/or formula make up about 90 percent of their diet.

In the later part of the first year, baby's swallowing mechanism greatly matures. The tongue-thrust reflex is nearly gone, the gag reflex diminished, and swallowing is more coordinated. This allows a gradual progression from strained or pureed foods to mashed and courser and lumpier foods. Advance the texture of solid food -- but not too fast. Going too slowly deprives baby of the chance to experiment with different textures and prolongs the strained baby food stage. Advancing too quickly causes bay to retreats new foods and new textures for fear of choking.

New Skills -- New Foods
At this stage babies enjoy more variety and volume of solids. Solid foods become a major component of the infant's diet, often making up around 50 percent of baby's nutrition after one year of age. (This is an average; many breastfed babies are still at the 80-90 percent milk level at one year.) During this stage new developmental milestones bring about new feeding patterns. The thumb-and-forefinger pincer grasp, more highly evolved now, allows baby to pick up small morsels. Babies often show a preoccupation with any newly acquired developmental skill. Consequently, babies develop a fascination for small objects. Pick up on this new desire by presenting your baby with baby-bite-sized morsels. The fun of finger foods begins.

Introducing solid foods continue.....

Avoid nighttime stuffing. 

  Cereals are often advised as fillers, something to feed your baby to lengthen the intervals between breastfeeding or bottles and to encourage baby to sleep through the night. Not only does this filler fallacy seldom work, it may create problems in appetite control at an early age, thus contributing to eventual obesity. Baby may need other forms of interaction between bottle-feedings, not just to be filled up. Remember that milk, either breast or formula, is still the most important nutrition at this stage. Avoid the urge to fill your baby up with solids before bedtime in a desperate hope that baby will sleep through the night. As tired parents, it is easy to consider this temptation. Controlled studies have shown, however, that infants who are fed solids before bedtime donot sleep through the night any sooner than infants who do not get the before-bed stuffing.

Encourage self-feeding.

  Around six months babies begin to develop two exciting skills that, when perfected, will make feeding much easier: the ability to sit up well in a high chair or on your lap and the ability to reach for food in front of them. Some babies simply hate having food come at them on a spoon and resist solids until you figure out that Mr. Independent wants to do it himself. Place a bit of mashed banana within grabbing distance on his table or high-chair tray. Around six months babies pounce on anything of interest placed in front of them. You will notice your baby capture this enticing material in his fist and gradually zero in on his mouth. By nine to ten months baby will be using his thumb and index finger to pick up small tidbits. In the beginning states of finding his mouth, bay may have more misses than hits, resulting in much of the food being splattered over his cheeks or on the floor, As one mother of a messy self-feeder put it, "The floor has a more balance diet than my baby does." It helps to remember that at this stage baby doesn't need the solid food -- feeding is still in the explore category.

  Get the messy feeder to clean up his act. To keep baby from grabbing the spoon, sending the contents flying, give him something to hold on to, another spoon or even a toy. Don't punish him for making a mess or wanting to be part of the action. If you are really intent on getting something into your baby, gently hold both his hands in your free hand while you "chat him up" or even sign his favorite ditty to distract him from wanting to "help" too much. Expect baby to treat solids as toys. He's feeding his intellect while you are more intent on feeding his body. Don't fret! Your breast milk has all the nutritional bases covered. You can afford to let baby have his science lesson. When the flinging and spitting escalate, simply take the food away. When he's really hungry, instinct will take over, and he'll realize the food will do wonders to satisfy that big empty spot in his tummy.

Help your baby develop an interest in solids. 

  Capitalize on a new social skill that develops between six and nine months -- baby's desire to mimic the actions of her caregivers. Let your baby watch you eat and enjoy food. Teach by example: Prepare a small amount of infant food, such as rice cereal or mashed bananas, and take a bite yourself as you exclaim, "Ummmmmm gooooood!" Some babies at this age are somewhat reluctant to try anything new. Take a few bites of any new food yourself. Let baby catch the spirit by watching you enjoy this new food.

Rotate foods. 

  Infants become bored with too much of the same food. Expect your baby to refuse previous favorites periodically. Take this as a sign that baby needs more variety in the menu.

Avoid mixed foods. 

  Introduce single foods rather than several foods mixed together. In case baby is allergic to or dislikes a food, offering a single food makes it easier to identify the culprit. Once you know certain foods are OK, you can combine them in one meal. In fact, a little dollop of fruit on the tip of a spoonful of meat or vegetables can sometimes get the less favored taste past the sentry.

Pass on the salt; skip the sugar. Parents, you are the taste makers of the next generation. If your infant grows up accustomed to sweetened and salted foods, it may be difficult to kick this taste later on.

Introducing solid foods Page2 continue.......

Keeping a favorite-Food Diary.

You might find it helpful to make a food diary with four columns on a page. In the first column list the foods that baby seems to like; in the second column, foods that you have found by trial and error that baby does not like; in the third column, possibly allergenic foods and the signs of allergies; and in the fourth column, the techniques you have learned to get more food into your baby with the minimum of hassles.

  The food diary helps you learn your baby's food preferences and capabilities at each state of development and is another way of getting to know and enjoy your baby. In case your baby may be intolerant to or allergic to a certain food, space each new food at least a week apart and keep a diary of which foods baby may be sensitive to or simply doesn't like. Also, the timing and progression of solids is much slower in the allergic baby.

Favorite First Foods

rice cereal peaches
barley cereal applesauce
bananas carrots
pears squash
avocados sweet potatoes

How Much To Feed
  After baby eagerly accepts the first finger-tip-full of food, gradually increase the amount. Remember that tiny babies have tiny tunnies, about the size of their fists. So don't expect baby to take more than one isful of food at one feeding. Expect erratic eating patterns. Baby may eat a couple tablespoons one day and only one the next.

When to Feed
  Offer solids at the time of the day when your baby seems hungriest, bored, or when you both need a change of pace. Choose a time of the day that is most convenient for you, since a little mess is part of the feeding game. Mornings are usually the best time for offering solids to formula-fed babies, because you have the most time with your infant and usually do not have to worry about preparing a meal for the rest of the family. If breastfeeding, offer solids when you milk supply is lowest, usually toward the end of the day. feed your baby solids between breastfeeding. Solid foods may interfere with absorption of valuable breast milk iron if both solids and breast milk are fed at the same time. 

  Since babies have no concept of breakfast, lunch, and dinner it makes no difference whether they receive vegetables for breakfast, or cereal and fruit for dinner. If you have a mental picture of your baby sitting still in a high chair eating three square meals a day, forget it! Babies don't sit still very long in one place even to play, let alone to eat. Allow your baby the fine art of grazing. Remember, tiny eaters have tiny tummies. Nibbling throughout the day is nutritionally better than eating three big meals. Three squares a day is more of an adult pattern, and, for that matter, even for us it is not as healthy as more frequent, smaller meals. Forget fast feeding. Try to time baby's feedings for when you are not in a hurry. Infant feedings are very time-consuming. Babies dawdle, dabble, spew, spatter, smear, drop, and fling.

Feeding Strategies
  To get more food into your baby than onto the floor, mix together your child's developing skills with a large pinch of patience and sprinkle in a few laughs. Here are some tips to help get more food into your baby with fewer hassles.

Enjoy table talk. Eating is a social interaction. As you offer your baby solids, consider that he may be thinking. "Something new is coming from someone I love and trust." Talk about both the food and the procedure so that baby learns to relate the words with the type of foods and the interactions that follow. Here is an example you might try. "Anthony want carrots... open your mouth!" as you approach Anthony's mouth with the solids-laden spoon. As you asked Anthony to open his mouth, you also opened your mouth wide, and he will mimick your facial gestures. Eager eyes, open hands, and open mouth are body language clues that baby is ready to eat.

  Show and tell. To entire the reluctant eater to eat, model enjoyment. Capitalizing on baby's newly developing social skill -- mimicking her caregivers' actions -- feed yourself in front of baby, but an an exaggerated way, slowly putting a spoonful of baby's food into your mouth. With big wide-open eyes showing how much you enjoy the taste, overreact, saying "Mmmmm, good!" Let baby catch the spirit and want to do likewise.

  Open mouth, insert spoon. Wait for a time when baby is hungry and in a mood for facial gestures and interaction. As you engage your baby face-to-face, open your mouth wide and say, "Open mouth!" Once your baby opens the "door," put the food in,.

Use lip service. Try the "upper lip sweep." As you place a spoonful of solids in your baby's mouth, gently lift the spoon upward, allowing the upper lip to sweep off the food.

  Observe stop signs. Pursed lips, closed mouth, head turning away from the approaching spoon, are all signs that your baby does not want to eat right now. Perhaps at this time baby wants to play, sleep, or simply is not interested or hungry. Don't force-feed. Some babies eagerly take solids by six months, while others show little interest as late as nine to twelve months. You wan your baby to develop a healthy attitude toward both the food and the feeding.
contd....

Baby Care - Breast Feeding Problems

Some women do not produce much milk while in the hospital, but produce more when they return home. Until there is enough milk for the baby's needs, a supplementary bottle may be given, but only after (never instead of) breast-feeding. Substituting a bottle for breast feeding will actually prevent the development of a steady milk supply since the baby's sucking stimulates the breasts to produce more milk. Frequent nursing, therefore, helps to increase the supply.

It is useful to know before the baby's birth how to press out (express) milk from the breasts. Have a sterilized cup ready. Wash your hands and make sure they are warm. Sit comfortably at a low table with the cup on the table just under your breast. Massage the whole breast with both hands. Then, with thumb and forefinger of one hand, squeeze the milk reservoir deep behind the areola. Slide thumb and forefinger through 90 degrees round the areola and squeeze again, making sure that all the milk sacs are emptied. Meanwhile, with the other hand, massage the breast gently from top, side, and bottom toward the areola. In the hospital, a hand pump may be supplied with instructions on how to use it. Some hospitals use electric pumps. A close-fitting funnel is placed over the nipple, areola, and breast tissue, and the milk is withdrawn by gentle suction produced by the pump. An experienced nurse can provide useful suggestions on the use of the breast pump after the birth of the baby. Such pumps are well worth learning about as they allow the nursing mother increased flexibility, especially if she plans to return to work shortly after the birth of the child.

Engorgement may occur at the beginning of the milk-producing cycle. The milk-making cells enlarge following hormonal stimulus and an increase in the blood supply. The process lasts for two to three days and in many women causes the breasts to swell painfully. Cold compresses and a mild painkiller should relieve the condition. Nurse the baby frequently, applying warm compresses before feeding. Put a little oil on the breast and express gently.

A relaxed attitude is important to correct any insufficiency in the supply of milk. Follow a sensible diet and eat a little more than was necessary during pregnancy. Drink plenty of liquids, about five pints a day, especially before and during nursing. It is very important to drink at least a quart (four 8oz glasses) of milk a day. Get enough sleep and rest whenever possible. Apply hot and cold compresses before nursing. Let the baby nurse frequently, emptying the breasts at every feeding.

To prevent excess milk from gushing out, splash the breasts with cold water before nursing, then express a little milk before putting the baby on the breast. Slow the flow of milk to the baby by pressing against the areola with your forefinger and middle finger. The more milk the baby takes, the more the milk supply is stimulated, so do not let the baby nurse too long, and interrupt feeding frequently.

The milk may begin to "let down" when you hear your baby crying or when you are out and think about the baby. Fold your arms and press your fists firmly against the nipple and areola area until the tingling sensation stops. Lack of muscle firmness can also cause leaking. Splashing the breasts with hot and cold water before each nursing period can improve muscle tone. Make sure your bra fits firmly and always wear it.

Soreness, or even cracks that bleed, may develop if a baby sucks hard or chews the nipple. If this happens, nursing must stop temporarily, and milk from the breasts must be pressed out (expressed) into a sterile container at regular intervals. The milk should then be offered to the baby from a bottle with a small-hole nipple. A mother's sore nipples heal quickly if the baby does not nurse for about 48 hours. Expose the nipples to the air when possible or sit close to an ordinary light for a few minutes. Take a mild painkiller and use an ointment or spray as recommended by the physician. When the cracks have healed, the baby may be nursed again, but only for short periods at the beginning. Express a little milk first so that the baby finds it easier to mouth the nipple.

Consult the physician if a hard area persists in the breast after nursing and massaging; when a red, painful area, like a boil in the early stagesSome women do not produce much milk while in the hospital, but produce more when they return home. Until there is enough milk for the baby's needs, a supplementary bottle may be given, but only after (never instead of) breast-feeding. Substituting a bottle for breast feeding will actually prevent the development of a steady milk supply since the baby's sucking stimulates the breasts to produce more milk. Frequent nursing, therefore, helps to increase the supply.

It is useful to know before the baby's birth how to press out (express) milk from the breasts. Have a sterilized cup ready. Wash your hands and make sure they are warm. Sit comfortably at a low table with the cup on the table just under your breast. Massage the whole breast with both hands. Then, with thumb and forefinger of one hand, squeeze the milk reservoir deep behind the areola. Slide thumb and forefinger through 90 degrees round the areola and squeeze again, making sure that all the milk sacs are emptied. Meanwhile, with the other hand, massage the breast gently from top, side, and bottom toward the areola. In the hospital, a hand pump may be supplied with instructions on how to use it. Some hospitals use electric pumps. A close-fitting funnel is placed over the nipple, areola, and breast tissue, and the milk is withdrawn by gentle suction produced by the pump. An experienced nurse can provide useful suggestions on the use of the breast pump after the birth of the baby. Such pumps are well worth learning about as they allow the nursing mother increased flexibility, especially if she plans to return to work shortly after the birth of the child.

Engorgement may occur at the beginning of the milk-producing cycle. The milk-making cells enlarge following hormonal stimulus and an increase in the blood supply. The process lasts for two to three days and in many women causes the breasts to swell painfully. Cold compresses and a mild painkiller should relieve the condition. Nurse the baby frequently, applying warm compresses before feeding. Put a little oil on the breast and express gently.

A relaxed attitude is important to correct any insufficiency in the supply of milk. Follow a sensible diet and eat a little more than was necessary during pregnancy. Drink plenty of liquids, about five pints a day, especially before and during nursing. It is very important to drink at least a quart (four 8oz glasses) of milk a day. Get enough sleep and rest whenever possible. Apply hot and cold compresses before nursing. Let the baby nurse frequently, emptying the breasts at every feeding.

To prevent excess milk from gushing out, splash the breasts with cold water before nursing, then express a little milk before putting the baby on the breast. Slow the flow of milk to the baby by pressing against the areola with your forefinger and middle finger. The more milk the baby takes, the more the milk supply is stimulated, so do not let the baby nurse too long, and interrupt feeding frequently.

The milk may begin to "let down" when you hear your baby crying or when you are out and think about the baby. Fold your arms and press your fists firmly against the nipple and areola area until the tingling sensation stops. Lack of muscle firmness can also cause leaking. Splashing the breasts with hot and cold water before each nursing period can improve muscle tone. Make sure your bra fits firmly and always wear it.

Soreness, or even cracks that bleed, may develop if a baby sucks hard or chews the nipple. If this happens, nursing must stop temporarily, and milk from the breasts must be pressed out (expressed) into a sterile container at regular intervals. The milk should then be offered to the baby from a bottle with a small-hole nipple. A mother's sore nipples heal quickly if the baby does not nurse for about 48 hours. Expose the nipples to the air when possible or sit close to an ordinary light for a few minutes. Take a mild painkiller and use an ointment or spray as recommended by the physician. When the cracks have healed, the baby may be nursed again, but only for short periods at the beginning. Express a little milk first so that the baby finds it easier to mouth the nipple.

Consult the physician if a hard area persists in the breast after nursing and massaging; when a red, painful area, like a boil in the early stages , appears; or if your temperature rises suddenly and you start shivering. Physicians do not agree on whether a nursing mother taking antibiotics should continue to breast-feed. Each situation is different so it would be wise to follow your physician's instructions.

Introducing Your Baby To Solid Foods 2nd page

Infant Feeding At a Glance
Age - Birth to 6 months

Food Sequence
Breast milk and/or iron-fortified formula satisfies all nutritional requirements.
Solid foods not nutritionally needed under 6 months of age.
Food Presentation
Breast and/or bottle
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Designed to suck, not chew
Rooting reflex; searches for food source
Tongue-thrust reflex pushes out solid foods
Sensitive gag reflex

Age - 6 months
Food Sequence
Starter foods:
banananas
rice cereal
pears
applesauce
Food Presentation
Strained, pureed
Finger-tip-full
Small spoonful
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Tongue-thrust and gag reflexes lessen; accepts solids
Sits erect in high chair
Begins teething

Age - 7 to 9 months
Food Sequence
Avocados
peaches
carrots
squash
prunes
sweet potatoes or yams
mashed potatoes
barley cereal
teething biscuits
pear and apple juice, diluted
Food Presentation
May drink from cup
Finger foods begin
Pureed and mashed foods
Holds bottle
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Thumb-and-forefinger pickup begins
Fascination with tiny food morsels
Begins mouthing chokable food and objects (parents beware!)
Bangs, drops, flings
Reaches for food and utensils
Munches food

Age - 9 to 12 months
Food Sequence
lamb, veal tofu
poultry beans
rice cakes peas
egg yolk oatmeal
cheese spinach
yogurt
Food Presentation
Lumpier consistency
Finger foods mastered
Bite-size cooked vegetables
Melt-in-mouth foods
Holds trainer cup
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Self-feeding skills improve
Holds bottle and cup longer
Points and pokes, smears, enjoys mess
High-chair gymnastics increase
Tries to use utensils, spills most

Age - 12 to 18 months
Food Sequence
whole milk apricots
cottage cheese grapefruit
ice cream grape halves
whole eggs strawberries
beef tomatoes
fish (salmon) pasta
broccoli graham crackers
cauliflower wheat cereal
melon honey
mango pancakes
kiwi muffins
papaya bagel
Food Presentation
Participates in family meals
Eats chopped and mashed family foods
Begins self-feeding with utensils
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Has prolonged attention span
"Do it myself" desire intensifies
Tilts cup and head while drinking; spills less
Holds spoon better, still spills much
Begins walking -- doesn't want to sit still and eat
Picks at others' plates

Age - 18 to 24 months
Food Sequence
Eats toddler-size portions of:
sandwiches stews
nutritious puddings sauces
dips smoothies
toppings shakes
spreads pate
soups
Toddler food "language":
avocado boats O-shaped cereal
cooked carrot wheels toast sticks
cheese blocks cookie-cutter sandwich
broccoli trees canoe eggs
Food Presentation
Grazes -- deserves title "picky eater"
Nibble tray
Weans from bottle
Uses spoon and fork
Developmental Skills, Implications for Feeding
Molars appear -- begins rotary chewing
Spoon-feeds self without spilling much
Learns food talk, signals for "more," "all done"
Wants to eat on the run -- needs creative feeding to hold attention at table
Has erratic feeding habits

Feeding Solids: Six to Nine Months
Breast milk or commercial formula with iron or a combination of the two contains all the essential nutrients your baby needs for the fist six to nine months. Consider solid foods as an addition to, not a substitute for, breast milk or formula. For a breastfeeding baby it's best to start solid foods slowly so they don't replace the more nutritious breast milk.

Ready-to-Eat Signs
  Baby may start begging -- reaching for the food on your plate, grabbing your spoon, looking at you hungrily, and mimicking feeding behaviors such as opening her mouth wide when you open your mouth to eat. Sometimes babies are more interested in the utensils than the actual food. If your baby shows interest in watching you eat, try offering her just a spoon to play with (preferably a sturdy plastic spoon -- they make less noise when banged). If baby is content with the spoon, then the toy is desired more than the food. When baby continues showing interest, it's time for the fun to begin. Also, the ability to sit up in a high chair and pick up food with thumb and forefinger are other signs that baby is ready for solids.

First Feeding
Start with solids that are the least allergenic (see my Article Feeding the Toddler - One to Two Years) and the closest to breast milk in taste and consistency. Examples of favorite first foods include mashed ripe bananas or rice cereal mixed with breast milk or formula. (See "Constipation When Starting Solids," farther on in this article.)

Place a finger-tip-full of banana (mashed to soupy) on baby's lips, letting her suck your finger as she usually does. Once she is introduced to the new taste, gradually increase the amount and thickness of the food, placing a blob toward the middle of baby's tongue. Watch baby's reaction. If the food goes in accompanied by an approving smile, baby is ready and willing. If the food comes back at you accompanied by a disapproving grimace, baby is not ready.

If baby spews the glob back at you, don't take this first impression personally. 

  Your infant has not yet learned the developmental skill of sealing the mouth shut, sweeping the food from front to back, and then swallowing. If your baby just sits there confused, her mouth open, with a glob of food perched on her tongue, her persistent tongue-thrust reflex is giving the developmental clue to shut the door and come back later.

  First Spoon - It is advised that baby's first "spoon" be your finger. It is soft, at the right temperature, and by this stage baby is very familiar with its feel. Your finger also knows if food is too hot. Few babies like to begin their feeding life with a silver spoon in their mouth. Metal holds the heat in, so each bites takes longer if you have to blow to cool food that is too hot. A hungry baby finds this infuriating! A coated baby spoon is a good starter utensil. Use shatterproof plastic bowls that can survive battering on the high-chair tray and numerous tumbles to the floor.

Progressing with Solids
  Beginning with rice cereal or bananas as a test dose, progress from a finger-tip-full to a half teaspoon to one teaspoon, then a tablespoon, then around two ounces, or half a jar. Advance from soupy to pasty to lumpy consistency. Remember, your initial goal is to introduce baby to the new taste and touch of solids, not to stuff baby. Gradually vary the texture and amount to git the eating skills and appetite of your baby. Some like solids of thinner consistency and want a largeramount; some do better with thicker solids and smaller amounts. Expect erratic eating habits. Your baby may take a whole jar one day, but only a teaspoon the next. 

Introducing Solid Foods: When, What, and How - Part One

This article provides information on why wait, infant feeding at a glance, feeding solids: six to nine months, and feeding strategies. There will be more on safe toddler (one year and older) feeding tips, feeding solids: nine to twelve months, making your own baby food, commercial baby food, and bring out the cup in Parts Two and Three, so keep an eye out for these articles.

  Experienced mothers have discovered a basic principle of introducing solids foods -- feed babies according to their own developmental skills rather than a preset calendar or clock. babies'; appetites and feeding skills are as individual as their temperaments. Let's feed them that way.

  Over the years infant-feeding practices have changed -- for the better. No longer do we feed babies according to the calendar, stuffing cereal into the reluctant six-week-old and feeling we have failed if baby has not taken a full-course meal by six months. Today, infant feeding involves matching good nutrition with individual developmental and intestinal readiness, which varies widely from baby to baby. Reading the feeding cues of your baby, introducing solid foods gradually, and encouraging self-feeding all lead to that important principle of baby feeding: creating a healthy feeding attitude.

Why Wait?
  You and your three-month-old are comfortably breastfeeding, and baby certainly seems to be getting enough to eat.

Baby's tongue movements and swallowing skills are the first clues to delaying solid foods. In the early months, babies have a tongue-thrust reflex that causes the tongue to automatically protrude outward when any foreign substance is placed upon it. This may be a protective reflex against choking on solids too early. Between four and six months this tongue-thrust reflex diminishes. Also, prior to six months of age many infants do not have good coordination of tongue and swallowing movements for solid foods. An added sign that babies were not designed for early introduction to solid foods is that teeth seldom appear until six or seven months, further evidence that the young infant is primarily designed to suck, rather than to chew.

  Not only is the upper end of baby's digestive tract not designed for early solids, neither are baby's insides. A baby's immature intestines are not equipped to handle a variety of foods until around six months, when many digestive enzymes seem to click in. Pediatric allergists discourage early introduction of foods especially if there is a strong family history of food allergies. Research shows that starting solids before six months increases the risk of allergies. Maturing intestines secrete the protein immunoglobulin IgA, which acts like a protective paint, coating the intestines and preventing the passage of harmful allergens (cow's milk, wheat, and soy are common examples of foods causing allergies when introduced early)(. This protective IgA is low in the early months and does not reach peak production until around seven months of age. As the intestines maturee, they become more nutritionally selective, filtering out offending food allergens. Babies whose systems tend to be allergy-prone actually may show delayed willingness to accept solids -- a built-in self-protective mechanism. contd....

Introducing Your Baby To Solid Foods

How Should I Start Feeding My Baby Solids?When your baby is ready and the doctor has given you the OK to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky.

How Should I Start Feeding My Baby Solids?  

  When your baby is ready and the doctor has given you the OK to try solid foods, pick a time of day when your baby is not tired or cranky. You want your baby to be a little hungry, but not all-out starving; you might want to let your baby breastfeed a while, or provide part of the usual bottle. Have your baby sit supported in your lap or in an upright infant seat. Infants, who sit well, usually around 6 months, can be placed in a high chair with a safety strap. Use a highchair as soon as your baby can sit easily without support. To safely use a highchair:

--Select a chair with a broad, stable base that won't tip easily.

--Use the safety straps every time you put your baby in the chair.

--Keep other children from pulling, climbing or hanging on to the highchair.

--Place the highchair a safe distance from the counter, table or any other stationary object your baby could push against forcefully enough to tip him or herself over. Give your baby enough time to finish each meal.

Most babies are full after 20 minutes of mealtime, including several minutes of exploring their food and socializing with the person feeding them. When your baby has had enough to eat, he or she will refuse the spoon with mouth closed or face turned away. Follow his or her lead, and never try to force in a few more bites.

  Our medical advisors recommend that a baby's first food should be root vegetables (yams, carrots) or fruit rather than rice cereal. The first feeding may be nothing more than a little food mixed in a whole lot of liquid.

Place the spoon near your baby's lips, and let the baby smell and taste. Don't be surprised if this first spoonful is rejected. Wait a minute and try again. Most food offered to your baby at this age will end up on the baby's chin, bib, or high-chair tray. Again, this is just an introduction.

Have the right equipment a small-sized plastic baby feeding spoon does not transmit heat or cold while having a smooth edge.

Do's

--Sit baby comfortably on your lap, baby hair chair or infant seat.

--Tie a bib in place and hold baby's head gently but firmly so that a sudden turn does not result in an eye or an ear full.

--Place the spoon in the baby's mouth on top of the tongue. Remove it with an upwards motion so the food is pushed off the top gum or lip.

--Offer no more than a few drops at a time at first. And if it gets spitted back, gently retrieve it from the chin and return it to the mouth.

--If your baby is unwilling to eat after a few attempts, discard the food and begin again later with a new preparation.

Don'ts

--Never attempt to feed baby cereal from a bottle using a teat with an enlarged hole. Cereals are intended as a supplement to the normal intake of milk. Your baby does not have take it from spoon, try later.

Breast Feeding Questions and Concerns

Today more mothers are choosing to breastfeed their babies because breast milk is the perfect food for babies. It is easy to digest and gives the baby protection from many allergies and infectious diseases. But there's a lot to learn before proceeding with the breast feeding process. Here are some more common questions and concerns in regards to breast feeding. 

Inverted Nipples

  Before your baby is born, check your breasts for flat or inverted nipples. Place your thumb and forefinger around your areola in a "C" shape, about an inch from the base of your nipple, and gently press thumb and forefinger together. Your nipple should project outward. If your nipple pulls back into the breast or stays flat, seek advice from your doctor, certified lactation consultant, or La Leche League leader.

Wearing plastic breast shells during the last months of pregnancy may help your nipples project outward. However, some authorities suggest that a baby who is attached to the breast correctly will breastfeed effectively regardless of the size or shape of mother's nipples. Either way, it will be helpful for you to understand proper positioning and talk to a breastfeeding counselor or healthcare provider about this issue before your baby is born.

Engorgement

  An uncomfortable fullness in the breasts that may cause your breasts to feel hard, hot, and painful may occur because baby is not removing enough milk. To eliminate this engorgement, breastfeed your baby more frequently or use a breast pump. Pumping to comfort or pumping only a few minutes, just long enough to make your breasts comfortable, will not produce an oversupply of milk. Applying cold compresses between feedings and/or warm compresses and circular massaging just before and during feedings may also be helpful.

Sore Nipples

  Sore nipples are a common complaint at first. This may be a new experience for you, and it may indicate that your baby is not positioned properly at the breast If the pain subsides in a minute and you are comfortable for the rest of the breastfeeding session, there's nothing to worry about. If not, call a lactation consultant 

Causes of sore nipples include:

• Baby's latching on too close to the nipple, not taking enough areolar tissue.
• Baby's lower lip is tucked in instead of flanged out.
• Baby slurps the nipple into his mouth instead of opening wide to accept the      breast.
• Baby's gums rub against the nipple when coming off the breast.
• Baby puts stress on the tissues and causes soreness by trying to draw out inverted or flat nipples during the early days/weeks of breastfeeding.Moisture remains on an inverted nipple for a prolonged period.Suggestions:
• Improve baby's latch on.
• Ask for help from a lactation professional.
• Allow baby to finish the first breast before offering the second.
• If nipples are sore, express a little breast milk and apply it gently to the nipples after breastfeeding
• Try a different breastfeeding hold position

Plugged Ducts

  Too much milk remaining in the breast may cause a plugged duct. This can happen for a variety of reasons and may result in a sore spot on your breast that is red and slightly warm to the touch.

Treatment measures for a plugged duct include:

• Wearing loose clothing and a bra that doesn't bind.
• Getting plenty of rest.
• Nursing as often as baby will cooperate and/or pumping between feedings.
• Nursing baby 8-12 times every 24 hours.
• Applying moist or dry heat to the sore spot before nursing.
• Starting every nursing session on the breast with the sore spot.
• Positioning baby so his chin lines up with the sore spot.
• Massaging the sore spot during breastfeeding.

Breast Infection

  If you develop other symptoms, such as a fever, chills, achiness, or soreness in the breast that is generalized instead of in one spot, you may have a breast infection, also known as mastitis. Contact a certified lactation consultant, an La Leche League leader, or healthcare provider for advice. Some breast infections will go away with the same treatment as you would use for a plugged duct.

If your symptoms persist, or if you have a high fever, you may need an antibiotic prescribed by your healthcare provider. Most antibiotics are safe to take while breastfeeding, but discuss this issue with your healthcare provider to be certain.

Is Baby Getting Enough Milk?

  Weight gain is the most accurate way to tell if your baby is getting enough milk, so weigh your baby. A normal weight gain is approximately four to eight ounces per week. As your baby becomes a little older, the increase in weight will become more obvious. If you're concerned about your baby, talk to your healthcare provider or a breastfeeding counselor.

Also, keep track of your baby's diaper changes since what goes in must come out. At first your baby will have only one or two wet diapers per day. After your milk supply increases, baby should have five to seven wet diapers (six to eight if using cloth diapers) and three to five bowel movements every day. Some babies may have a small bowel movement with every diaper change.

The first bowel movements will be dark black, with a tarry consistency. Both color and consistency will change within a day or two of your milk supply increasing. The color of a breast milk stool is most often a mustard-yellow, but it can vary from tan to yellow to yellow-green. The consistency is loose and seedy and will remain this way as long as your baby is receiving only human milk. In addition, while nursing, your baby should swallow after every couple of sucks, so listen for swallowing. Other indicators include your breasts becoming softer after feedings, your baby's skin feeling smooth and firm, and baby seeming satisfied after feedings.

However, if your baby shows any of the following signs, contact your healthcare provider immediately:

• Weak cry
• Skin with no resiliency (when pinched it stays pinched looking)
• Dry mouth and dry eyes
• Less than the usual amount of tears
• Minimal urine output (less than two wet diapers in 24 hours)
• Fever
• Fontanel (soft spot) on the baby's head is sunken or depressed

  If you previously had breast surgery, be sure to tell your healthcare provider. Many mothers have been able to fully breastfeed their babies after breast surgery. However, it is important that your healthcare provider be aware of your history and past breast surgery(ies) so that you and your baby can be monitored closely to make sure your milk production is good and baby is gaining weight.

Increasing Your Milk Supply

  The amount of milk you produce is dependent on how much and how frequently milk is removed from your breasts. As baby's demand increases, your body will increase its supply, but you might find the following suggestions helpful if you are concerned about your milk supply:

• Nurse baby at both breasts at every nursing session.
• Nurse baby twice at each breast at each nursing session.
• Use the lying down hold occasionally so you rest while baby nurses.
• Nurse at baby's earliest cues.
• Drink plenty of fluids (based on your individual needs).
• Use a breast pump between feedings.
• Refer to a certified lactation consultant for a complete breastfeeding evaluation.

Baby Constantly Awakens at Night

  There are many reasons a baby wakes at night. You may have a newborn who is a light sleeper and is easily awakened. Plus, human milk digests twice as fast as formula, so breastfed babies get hungry more often than bottle-fed babies.

Baby Is Always Sleepy

  Some medications used during labor and delivery may cause baby to become extremely sleepy. If baby sleeps constantly in the first week, it's important to wake him to nurse so your milk supply will become established and baby grows and gains weight normally. Try nursing frequently at night when it is quieter. Contact another mother or breastfeeding counselor for tips on waking a sleeping baby.

Breastfeeding and Mother's Medications

  Most antibiotics and pain medications are compatible with breastfeeding. However, you should always discuss any medications with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.

The possible risks of a medication, whether a doctor's prescription or bought over the counter, should be weighed against the risks of weaning and providing artificial milk.

  

When to Ask for Breastfeeding Help

Seek help when:

• Your newborn has fewer than five to seven really wet diapers, or three to five bowel movements each day, even after your milk supply increases in the first week.
• Baby's urine is a dark color or has a strong odor.
• Nipple or breast soreness becomes worse and persists between feedings.
• Breastfeeding becomes painful. (A little pain at the beginning is normal, but it should fade as your baby learns to breastfeed.)

Baby Seems Full of Gas

  You may have heard that babies react to foods in their mothers' diets but this is fairly rare. Infant formula is far more likely to cause some type of problem rather than a reaction to mother's diet.

Infant massage often helps soothe a baby who appears to have gas, so you might read books on infant massage to find a technique that your baby likes. You also might try the colic hold to see if it helps baby become more comfortable. Drape your baby face down over your forearm with his head at the crook of your elbow, your hand supporting his midsection, and his legs dangling down.

Supplements and Artificial Nipples

  Supplements of water or artificial milk (formula) in the early weeks of breastfeeding can contribute to a poor milk supply, prolonged engorgement, jaundice, or cow's milk allergy or intolerance-problems for both you and your baby.

Avoid artificial nipples and pacifiers because they can confuse your baby when he's learning how to breastfeed. A baby uses mouth and tongue differently when taking a bottle or pacifier versus a human breast. Among other things, artificial nipples are firmer than your breast, and a baby holds them in the front of his mouth. If baby does the same thing while breastfeeding, he may not use enough suction and he won't get as much milk.

Your nipples may become sore in the process. Some very sensitive babies even refuse to breastfeed after using artificial nipples.

  Since there is no way to tell ahead of time whether your baby will be able to switch back and forth easily, it's best to avoid artificial nipples until your baby has been nursing well for at least three or four weeks and the likelihood of confusion is reduced. If you need to feed your baby other than at the breast, use an alternative to bottles, such as a spoon, eyedropper, or small feeding cup. Consult a knowledgeable breastfeeding counselor about these options.