Feeding Routines for Happy Infants

Technically a newborn becomes an infant after reaching the age of one month. The baby remains one until one year old when he or she technically becomes a toddler.
This first year of life is crucial as the way you treat the infant can really affect how he or she will psychologically and physically develop as well as influence the baby's relationship with food.

One important thing is to not force a child of this age to eat. You should never expect him or her to finish a bottle or an entire job of baby food. Putting pressure on a baby causes both emotional and physical discomfort. The pain of overeating for an infant is due to undeveloped organs.

You should also never shame a baby into eating or make him or her think that eating is all about 'control.' This could result in a personality that becomes anxious, obsessive and a future over-eater. Many babies that feel controlled around mealtime rituals become anorexics or bulimics.

Another routine that can never be established early enough is eating at the same time every day. This type of habit tends to 'take hold' as part of your developing baby's instincts and also last well into maturity. It prevents snacking and overeating.

You should try to avoid buying baby foods that contain additives, coloring agents and preservatives. If you must buy commercial baby food rather than make your own then be sure to read the labels. You also want to avoid addicting baby to foods that contain MSG, sugar and too much salt. These additives make food seem so delicious that it will be very hard for you to get your baby to eat things that are less attractive but truly nutritious such as pureed broccoli or yams.

The same thing goes for sugar. The baby who eats chocolate pudding will prefer that over peaches or bananas for dessert. Shunning foods is too easy for an infant' sugar and salt are so addicting they will throw big tantrums to get it.

If you want your baby to develop a positive attitude towards mealtime then it is also a good idea to make it seem more sociable and exciting by talking to the baby about the food and how great it is to share mealtime together. This will make the baby look forward to eating with the family.

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Nursing for Happy, Healthy Newborns

Establishing a healthy eating pattern for a newborn can be difficult because newborns do not have a real schedule. They must eat-on-demand. Ultimately this means that if you have a baby that is less than one that you are at the mercy of his or her whims.

For the first month of life the healthiest thing you can do for a child is give up all plans and feed that baby when it is hungry. Most babies will want to feed every three to four hours. Interestingly, most newborns do not scream when they are hungry. Instead they pucker their lips, nuzzle an arm or breast or suck on a fist. Be aware of these signs because you do not want your baby to ever be hungry. A hungry baby often grows up to be a nerve-wracked and insecure.

You should, if possible, choose to breast feed your baby rather than use a bottle. This is because mother’s milk contains everything that a baby needs to grow. Your breast milk contains hormones and other substances that also help the baby develop a healthy brain and immune system. A bottle-fed baby is more likely to develop allergies later in life.

Even though woman have been to alternate breasts every few minutes when feeding a new baby the experts are now saying that it is best to use one breast for one feeding session and then use the other for the next. Staying on one best when the baby is latched onto your nipple is a good way to make sure that the baby receives hind milk. Hind milk is last to leave the breast – the dregs and it has the most nutrition.

You also do not want the baby to associate mealtimes with a lot of stress. Do not nurse if you feel stressed or angry. Make sure that when you do nurse that you are comfortably supported with pillows and are calm and well-nourished.

Yet another thing to consider is whether or not your newborn will need supplementation with Vitamin D. This is usually required nowadays as research scientists have shown that most people, including nursing mothers are short of it. Consult your doctor to see if you and your newborn or both of you need to take extra Vitamin D every day.

Take vitamins as recommended by your doctor when nursing. Remember that part of keeping your newborn healthy is keeping yourself healthy too!

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