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Breastfeeding is the ideal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, provided they have accurate information, and the support of their family and the health care system. Colostrum, the yellowish, sticky breast milk produced at the end of pregnancy, is recommended by WHO as the perfect food for the newborn, and feeding should be initiated within the first hour after birth. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended up to 6 months of age.

A baby bottle is a bottle with a teat (also called a n****e in the US) to drink directly from. It is typically used when a mother does not breastfeed, or if someone can not (as conveniently) drink from a cup, for feeding oneself or being fed.
In particular it is used to feed an infant with infant formula, expressed breast milk or pediatric electrolyte solution.

Teething is the process by which an infant's teeth sequentially appear by breaking through the gums. Teething may start as early as three months or as late, in some cases, as twelve months. Occasionally a baby may even have one or more teeth at birth. The typical time frame for new teeth to appear is somewhere between six and nine months. It can take up to several years for all 20 deciduous (aka "baby" or "milk") teeth to emerge. The process of teething is sometimes referred to as "cutting teeth".

Breast-feeding benefits for mothers

Breastfeeding is a cost effective way of feeding an infant, and provides the best nourishment for a child at a small nutrient cost to the mother. Frequent and exclusive breastfeeding can delay the return of fertility through lactational amenorrhea, though breastfeeding is an imperfect means of birth control. During breastfeeding beneficial hormones are released into the mother's body. and the maternal bond can be strengthened. Breastfeeding is possible throughout pregnancy, but generally milk production will be reduced at some point.

Long-term health effects
A recent study indicates long duration of lactation (at least 24 months) is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease in women. Breastfeeding mothers also have less risk of endometrial, and ovarian cancer, and osteoporosis, and breast cancer.
Mothers who breastfeed longer than eight months also benefit from bone re-mineralisation and breastfeeding diabetic mothers require less insulin. Breastfeeding helps stabilize maternal endometriosis, reduces the risk of post-partum bleeding and benefits the insulin levels for mothers with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Women who breast feed for longer have less chance of getting rheumatoid arthritis, a Malmo University study published online ahead of print in the Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases suggested (See Women Who Breast Feed for More than a Year Halve Their Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis). The study also found that taking oral contraceptives, which are suspected to protect against the disease because they contain hormones that are raised in pregnancy, did not have the same effect. Simply having children but not breast feeding also did not seem to be protective.
Bonding
The hormones released during breastfeeding strengthen the maternal bond. Teaching partners how to manage common difficulties is associated with higher breastfeeding rates. Support for a mother while breastfeeding can assist in familial bonds and help build a paternal bond between father and child.
If the mother is away, an alternative caregiver may be able to feed the baby with expressed breast milk. The various breast pumps available for sale and rent help working mothers to feed their babies breast milk for as long as they want. To be successful, the mother must produce and store enough milk to feed the child for the time she is away, and the feeding caregiver must be comfortable in handling breast milk.
Hormone release
Breastfeeding releases oxytocin and prolactin, hormones that relax the mother and make her feel more nurturing toward her baby. Breastfeeding soon after giving birth increases the mother's oxytocin levels, making her uterus contract more quickly and reducing bleeding. Oxytocin is similar to pitocin, a synthetic hormone used to make the uterus contract.
Weight loss
As the fat accumulated during pregnancy is used to produce milk, extended breastfeeding—at least 6 months—can help mothers lose weight. However, weight loss is highly variable among lactating women, and diet and exercise are more reliable ways of losing weight.
Natural postpartum infertility
A fully breastfeeding woman may not ovulate, or have regular periods, for up to 6 months. This Lactational amenorrhea, should not be relied on as a form of contraception.

Expressing breast milk

When direct breastfeeding is not possible, a mother can express (artificially remove and store) her milk. With manual massage or using a breast pump, a woman can express her milk and keep it in freezer storage bags, a supplemental nursing system, or a bottle ready for use. Breast milk may be kept at room temperature for up to ten hours, refrigerated for up to eight days or frozen for up to four to six months. Research suggests that the antioxidant activity in expressed breast milk decreases over time but it still remains at higher levels than in infant formula.

Expressing breast milk can maintain a mother's milk supply when she and her child are apart. If a sick baby is unable to feed, expressed milk can be fed through a nasogastric tube.

Expressed milk can also be used when a mother is having trouble breastfeeding, such as when a newborn causes grazing and bruising. If an older baby bites the n****e, the mother's reaction - a jump and a cry of pain - is usually enough to discourage the child from biting again.

"Exclusively Expressing", "Exclusively pumping" and "EPing" are terms for a mother who feeds her baby exclusively on her breastmilk while not physically breastfeeding. This may arise because her baby is unable or unwilling to latch on to the breast. With good pumping habits, particularly in the first 12 weeks when the milk supply is being established, it is possible to produce enough milk to feed the baby for as long as the mother wishes. Kellymom has a page of links relating to exclusive pumping.

It is generally advised to delay using a bottle to feed expressed breast milk until the baby is 4-6 weeks old and is good at sucking directly from the breast. As sucking from a bottle takes less effort, babies can lose their desire to suck from the breast. This is called nursing strike or n****e confusion. To avoid this when feeding expressed breast milk (EBM) before 4-6 weeks of age, it is recommended that breast milk be given by other means such as feeding spoons or feeding cups. Also, EBM should be given by someone other than the breastfeeding mother (or wet nurse), so that the baby can learn to associate direct feeding with the mother (or wet nurse) and associate bottle feeding with other people.[citation needed]

Some women donate their expressed breast milk (EBM) to others, either directly or through a milk bank. Though historically the use of wet nurses was common, some women dislike the idea of feeding their own child with another woman's milk; others appreciate being able to give their baby the benefits of breast milk. Feeding expressed breast milk—either from donors or the baby's own mother—is the feeding method of choice for premature babies. The transmission of some viral diseases through breastfeeding can be prevented by expressing breast milk and subjecting it to Holder pasteurisation.

How to Bottle-Feed


Step 1
Always wash your hands well before preparing a bottle of formula and feeding your baby.

Step 2
Check the expiration date on the formula. Never use formula that is past its expiration date.

Step 3
Use a clean can opener to open cans of liquid formula. Wash the can opener after every use. Be sure that single serving bottles and cans of powered formula are tighly and correctly sealed before you open them.

Step 4
Use bottled water if you are concerned about the safety of your tap water. Be sure that the bottled water you use is not distilled.

Step 5
Do not worry about sterilizing bottles and nipples in boiling water. Washing the bottles in the dishwasher (if they are dishwasher safe) or in the sink in warm, soapy water is sufficient to get them clean. Nipples can also be washed well in a sink full of soapy warm water.

Step 6
Follow the directions exactly when mixing the formula. Check to see if liquid formula needs to be diluted.

Step 7
Dispose of any formula that is left over after each feeding. This formula should never be reused due to the threat of bacteria growth.

How to Relieve Teething Pain


Step 1
Grab a bag of frozen veggies and let the kid chew on it.

Step 2
Wet a washcloth and then put it in the freezer for a few hours. Take it out and give it to your child to chew on to numb the painful area.

Step 3
Buy a plastic teething ring or teething pacifier, but don’t freeze it, as it may hurt your baby's gums instead of helping the pain. Putting the ring in the refrigerator for a few hours should do the trick.

Step 4
Grab some Hyland’s Teething Tablets. They are tiny and homeopathic, so if your kid accidentally eats the entire bottle, no harm will be done.

Step 5
Try Baby Orajel (day or night formula). It’s extremely temporary and will make your child drool like crazy since they can’t feel their mouth.

Step 6
Try massaging the gums (like your baby is trying to do to himself by chewing on his fingers). He may not enjoy having your finger in his mouth at first, but give it another shot.

Step 7
As a last resort, give your child some Tylenol or Advil, only if the baby is old enough (ask your doctor) and if the pain won’t be relieved any other way.

Step 8
Let your child chew on a soft-bristled, rubber-ended toothbrush. Some kids find this very comforting.

Picky Eating (aka: The Feeding of Toddlers)

Picky eating is very difficult to deal with. Children who are picky eaters can be very tiring to their parents, who feel they need to cater to their child's every whim.

This is not so.

The first thing to know about a picky eater: Your toddler WILL NOT STARVE if he or she misses a single meal. (Obviously, use good judgement, if your child is diabetic, hypoglycemic, severely underweight, etc, this will not be true. This advice is meant for a child with average health)

That's right. Your toddler WILL NOT STARVE if he or she misses a single meal. Even missing two meals will not cause your toddler to starve. Remember this.

When dealing with a picky eater, there are a lot of things you can do. The following is one that I've read up on, talked to specialists about and have rarely seen fail.

One of the important things to note with picky eaters is that toddlers do best if given many small meals throughout the day. Most parents and daycare providers do this through 3 "meals" and 2 or 3 "snacks." For my model to work and you not to end up with a cranky toddler on your hands, it is best if you are feeding your child 3 meals and 1 snack between each meal.

For example:

Breakfast
Snack
Lunch
Snack
Supper
(add bedtime snack if this doesn't overstimulate your child)

Note: DO NOT make a big deal of your child's picky eating. Don't say "Gee, you're such a picky eater." This will result in your child taking that on as part of his self-identity. Don't make your child different foods from the rest of the family. If your child is refusing to eat, you can offer pediasure with his snacks in order to get nutrients into him. NEVER EVER EVER punish a child for not finishing the food on their plate. Ever. Do not punish your child for being picky. This can lead to food issues later in life including both chronic overeating and chronic undereating.


Step 1) Take careful stock of the foods your child will not eat. Look for things that they have in common. For example, does your child dislike foods of a certain colour? A certain texture (mushy, sticky, grainy, etc)? Strong flavours? Bland foods? Sour things? In many cases, all of a child's dislikes have something in common if you look carefully. It may simply be that your child is not ready, from a sensory integration standpoint, for that grouping of textures/flavours/whatever.

Step 2) As much as possible, eliminate foods from the group you identified from your child's diet. At the same time, eliminate it from YOUR diet. This measure is temporary, don't worry. If it's a sensory integration issue in your child's development, this will give him time to further develop and get ready for that grouping of foods.

Step 3) Feed the whole family the same thing. Exclude the texture/flavour/colour group. Everyone in the family MUST be served the same thing. If your child goes to daycare, make all the lunches together, allowing your child to watch, and make sure your child knows that mummy/daddy/brother/sister are all getting EXACTLY the same thing. Make sure that your daycare provider knows not to give your child anything extra if he refuses to eat.

Step 4) If your child refuses to eat something, put it in the fridge. Don't throw it out or pick at it. Leave it as-is and stick it in the fridge, on the same serving plate. If your child says that he is hungry and it is not yet time for the next snack or meal, offer him the food left over from his last meal. Throw it out when you are preparing his next snack or meal. This does not count, of course, if the child has eaten a significant amount of everything on his plate. You're not looking for plate clearing. Just for eating some of everything. If your child only takes two bites of everything on his plate, this is probably not picky eating and you can use your discretion about whether to offer the left-overs or to give him a snack. If your child always only eats two bites, then says he is hungry a few minutes later, looking for something different, this could be picky eating. Offering your child left-overs will not hurt him, so don't feel guilty about not catering.

Don't worry if your child chooses to skip a meal at this point. Depending on the child, it may be appropriate to always have a bowl of fresh vegetables, such as carrots and celery and baby tomatoes in the fridge from which he is always welcome to get a snack, at any time. When your child says he is hungry, ALWAYS offer food--but never any additional food outside of what would be served at meals and snacks unless it is something such as fresh vegetables or another healthy snack that would be available at all times for ANY member of the family. No cookies, no sweets, no chocolate should be offered unless it is offered to ALL members of the family.

Don't give in and make him something special. This is hard. If you offer him his leftovers and he refuses, quietly put it back in the fridge and ignore the tantrum. Don't acknowledge it except by what you would do for a normal tantrum. If that means putting him in a corner for a time-out, fine. But don't try to reason with him while he's in a tantrum. Once he is calm, you can explain that you would like very much for him to finish his breakfast/lunch/snack/whatever because the foods in it will help him to be healthy and strong. The more attention you give for the tantrums during them, the more tantrums you will get. Don't reason with your child unless he is calm or showing signs of trying not to tantrum. Your child is an individual and I can't say exactly what that will look like for every child.

Step 5 (OPTIONAL)) Introduce COMPLETELY new foods. Things your child has never encountered before. Pick something exotic and learn how to make it. Make a big deal over how AMAZING it is to try something new and doesn't everyone enjoy trying something new? Daddy, you enjoy trying something new and different, don't you? Oh, I LOVE trying new things. Here, junior, you try too, just like Mummy and Daddy (and brother/sister/whoever). Try to avoid foods that might fit into the dislike category you identified in step 1 and step 2.

Step 6) Once your child realizes that you are not going to cater to him and has begun eating some of everything on his plate, slowly re-introduce the category listed above by incorporating it back into EVERYONE'S diet. Go slowly so you won't spook him. It may have taken several weeks to get to this point. If your child is very young, he may have totally forgotten about the foods he disliked. If you used step 5, you have taught him that new is good. You've shown him things that he has NEVER tried before. Be slow when introducing this group. Only one side dish per day. Watch for signs of rejection. If your child rejects it again, put that category away for another month or two, early in the reintroduction process, then try again. On the second reintroduction attempt, don't back off. Tell your child how much you really like that food, while you're preparing it. Tell your child how (x person he admires) likes that food. Only tell him that if it is true! Children are RENOWNED for asking questions.

Once you get through all 6 steps (or 5, if you choose to skip step 5), the picky eating should be eliminated or vastly reduced. Picky eating can be caused by several things. Sensory issues, wanting attention and testing boundaries are the most common. If, in the long-run, it turns out to be a sensory issue, these steps will not work. That's the unfortunate truth. If it was for attention or to test the boundaries of what you will and won't do (such as giving him special meals), these steps should work brilliantly.

If these steps do not work, you may want to consult with your doctor or nutritionist for more specialized options. If the suggestions from your doctor or nutritionist are not helpful, ask for a referral to an occupational therapist. Occupational therapists help with things such as this and can identify sensory integration disabilities that may be hurting your child's ability to eat certain things. A lot of the things listed here are from what I observed as the "first line" of attempts with occupational therapists and doctors to try and cure or reduce picky eating without a horribly involved process that would take years.

Remember: NEVER punish your child for being picky. Punish for the tantrums, sure. Not the pickiness. NEVER throw out food if he's not eating or refuse to offer food when your child is hungry because your child didn't eat his supper. NEVER use holding back dessert as a punishment for picky eating. Instead, give everyone a very small portion of dessert and offer your child his leftovers from supper if he says he's not hungry. Don't refuse dessert, don't allow dessert to fill junior up. Most importantly, when dealing with a picky eater, ALWAYS make sure that every morsel offered is *packed* with nutrition, but DO NOT hide "hated" foods in foods that he likes because he WILL find out and he WILL stop eating the foods he likes. Children are stubborn. You need to be more stubborn without coming across like *you're* throwing a tantrum.


Oh yeah. And your child is human. That means he has likes and dislikes. If those dislikes are in the severe minority, it's okay to allow him to keep them. For example, if junior eats well, but refuses cooked carrots, it's okay to offer him carrot sticks instead, if he eats pretty much everything else. If he eats well and eats nearly everything put in front of him but says that he really doesn't like meatballs (but he eats other meats fine), it's okay to leave the meatballs out of his spaghetti.

Having a handful of foods that he "doesn't like" doesn't make him a picky eater. Picky eaters have a TONNE of foods they "don't like." Just cause he HATES your favourite curry doesn't make him a picky eater if he eats well the rest of the time.