While rooting and milk production are reflex activities, other aspects of nursing take time for you and your baby to master. His first efforts at feeding may seem clumsy and uncoordinated, as the tasks of latching onto a nipple, breathing, and swallowing (more or less simultaneously) are accomplished. After six weeks or so, the baby will be more of an expert, anticipating feeding and doing his part more efficiently.

 

If your baby seems to have problems with either breast or bottle feeding, consider how the two of you interact. Babies have different feeding styles, from sleepy and slow to active and voracious. Try to tune your style to your infant’s. At this early stage, don’t worry about spoiling your baby with too-frequent feedings. Newborn babies cannot help expressing their physical needs, and the parents’ job is to meet them as well and as quickly as possible taking care, of course, to wait a few minutes and give the baby a chance to calm himself if he has recently been fed. This experience lets babies know from the outset that the world is a good place to be. Thus, they learn to trust.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At first, breast-fed babies usually require more frequent feeding than bottle-fed babies, because breast milk is digested more quickly. Ideally, the baby should be fed on demand which, for most newborns, means about every one and a half to three hours. If you prefer a more structured schedule, you can gradually shift to feeding every three or four hours by the time the baby is two to three months old.

Few parents love night feedings, but they are a necessity. Most babies need one nighttime feeding for a least the first three to five months. To get more unbroken sleep, you might try waking the baby just before your own bedtime for a late-night feeding. This practice might backfire, however, if your baby decides to stay awake for another few hours after the feeding you give at what’s supposed to be your bedtime.

 

If you are bottle feeding, your baby will take in noticeably more formula, with longer intervals between feedings, as the weeks pass. Bottle-fed babies, in fact, may grow somewhat faster than breast-fed babies, but there’s no evidence that they are any healthier. (In fact, all other things being equal, breast-feeding confers greater health benefits.) In general, babies don’t need to have solids before the fifth or sixth month.

 

Burping is necessary for both breast- and bottle-fed babies to bring up air swallowed while sucking. Swallowed air causes stomach discomfort, and it may increase your baby’s tendency to spit up. Tried-and-true burping methods include:

 

• Holding the baby upright over your shoulder (which you should cover with a clean diaper in case of spitting up) and patting or rubbing the back.

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• Sitting the baby upright and rubbing or patting the back while supporting the chest and chin with your hand.

• Resting the baby face-down across your knees, then rubbing or patting the back.

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