We all know and agree that breastfeeding your baby for the first year, only adding baby food between 4-6 months is best for your baby. Before the invention of bottles, mothers would have to keep their babies with them at all times while breastfeeding so that she could feed the baby when he was hungry. Bottles however create an ease and release some of the pressure from the breastfeeding mom’s shoulders.

Today, a woman can create a bottle of breast milk to have ready for her baby to eat in cases where she needs to leave the house for some “me” time, or go on the occasional “date” with her spouse. Bottles are a great tool in allowing a mother to still breastfeed her baby and have a little freedom.

Introducing the Bottle
Introducing the bottle to a breastfed baby does not always come easily and does not always go smoothly. Many times a breastfed baby will fight the bottle, in an attempt to only eat from the breast. This can lead to frustration in parents. It is important for both parents to remember to remain patient during this process. Your baby can feel your frustration which might make it harder to get him to calm down.

When to Introduce the Bottle
Breastfeeding experts say to give yourself at least two weeks of breastfeeding before introducing your bottle. This not only helps your milk supply be set, but helps avoid nipple frustration for your baby. Often if a woman gives her baby a bottle from birth, the baby learns that sucking from a bottle is easier than sucking from his mother’s nipple and tries to refuse the breast. Realistically you should try to introduce the bottle to your baby before he turns six weeks old. While you don’t want to do it too early, you don’t want to wait too long either as your baby may fight the foreign object going into his mouth and make it difficult for you to get him drinking from the bottle.

How to Introduce the Bottle
When it comes to introducing the bottle to your breastfed baby there is one very important rule. Act like it is no big deal. Your baby can feel anxiety, frustration and other emotions that you feel, so if you are relaxed it is likely your baby may be more relaxed.

A breastfeeding mother has a scent that a baby can smell. Because of this, it may be difficult for mom to get the baby to take the bottle. If you smell a juicy cheeseburger and are offered a piece of toast, which would you choose? It is the same for baby. Because of this it may be easier for dad, a friend, or another family member to offer the baby a bottle, while mom gets out of sight. A baby will eat when he gets hungry enough, and if his food source is not within reach he is likely to take it easier from the bottle.

It will probably be easier to get your baby to take the bottle when he is not starving. Wait till the end of a feeding and hand him off to another person to try feeding him. When his belly is already almost full, and he isn’t frantic, the bottle might be accepted easier.

Introducing the Bottle Late
If you wait too long to introduce the bottle to your baby all hope is not lost. You will have to remember that it may be harder, and take longer to get him to take the bottle easily. You will need more patience and more than likely will need an extra set of hands to help your baby get used to the bottle. Remember not to try and give him a bottle on an empty stomach when he is very hungry and likely to fight more. Act like it is a new game for you and your baby to play and when he does take the bottle, if only for a couple of minutes before he tires of it, praise him and upon tiring, take the bottle away. If you don’t make it a big deal, chances are your baby won’t make it a big deal either.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests waiting to start solids until your baby is 4-6 months old. What many people do not realize however is that the four months is meant more for formula fed babies while the six months is meant more for the breastfed babies. Why do they say wait and what are the pros and cons of starting your baby on food other than breast milk and formula?

Breast milk is full of iron unlike formula so it gives a baby the full amount of iron that they need while they grow for a longer amount of time. Because formula lacks as much iron, a baby who is formula fed should start on baby food at about four months old, in order to supplement and get more iron. Breast milk is so amazing because it changes as your baby grows giving your baby exactly what he needs, when he needs it, including the right amount of iron. This is why breast milk is best for the first year. Because your baby gets the iron from breast milk that he needs he doesn’t need baby food for at least six months.

Is your baby ready for solids? There are many ways you can tell from your baby’s development whether or not they are ready to start solids. A baby’s weight and development are very important. Can they sit, can they pick up objects? These are all very important to consider. For more on introducing solids, please click here.

There is really no reason to rush your baby into starting solids. There are some parents that choose to wait till nine months or closer to a year before they start their baby on food other than breast milk. Baby food is meant to help get babies acquainted to other flavors and learn how to eat food, however until they are a year old breast milk or formula should still make up at least 3/4 of their diet. Don’t feel pressured to start your baby on solids. If you are concerned about whether or not you should or your baby’s health, ask your pediatrician at your baby’s next well-check.

Such a controversial topic in many households…when should you start introducing solids to your baby? What age is the correct age to start cutting back on breast milk or formula and start giving your baby cereal, and other stage one baby foods? What are the signs that your baby is ready for solids? And what is the best way to introduce solids into your baby diet?

When To Start
Back in the 60’s parents were starting their babies on baby cereal and stage one food as early as 2-3 weeks old. Over the years the recommended age to begin babies on stage one foods has been pushed back to two months to four months, and is now set between four and six months. If your baby is exclusively breastfed most pediatricians don’t recommend starting solids until he is six months old. Your breast milk naturally provides and the nutrients and vitamins to help your baby grow. The timing is dependent upon many things that are unique to your baby, so as your baby’s pediatrician what his opinion is and why, before you decide.

How Will You Know Your Baby is Ready
As you will come to learn, the key to knowing your baby and understanding his wants and needs will be to watch his signs. There are many signs and developmental milestones that your baby should hit before he is ready to begin eating solids. Some of them include:

• Being able to hold head up and sit upright
• Absence of the extrusion reflex (the natural reflex babies have to push foreign objects out of their mouth)
• Reaching at least 15 pounds
• Starting to make chewing motions with their mouth
• Reaching for your food

This doesn’t mean that your baby can reach one of these milestones and be ready for solids, or has to reach ALL of these milestones before you can start him on solids. Some babies who are big when born may hit the 15 pound mark within the first two months, but they are probably not sitting on their own yet. Some babies who can sit can’t necessarily chew yet. Some babies will reach for your food and make chewing motions with their mouth, but may be on the petite side only weighing 10-12 pounds. Along with your pediatrician you should weigh your baby’s progress and determine when he is ready to start on solids.

How To Introduce Solids
When introducing solids you should start slowly with thinned down baby cereal mixed with either breast milk or formula. Most pediatricians suggest starting with rice cereal as there are rarely allergies related to this. Once your baby has mastered cereal, start introducing more of the stage one vegetables. It is suggested that you start with veggies because they are not sweet and will not make your baby start craving sweet foods. When you do introduce a new food, refrain from introducing more than one new food a week. This will help you determine what foods your baby likes or doesn’t like or has an allergic reaction to if a rash appears.

When introducing your baby to solids check with your pediatrician, watch for your baby’s clues and above all else remain patient. Remember this whole eating thing is much newer for your baby than it is for you and is a learning experience for both of you.

The big “J” word. It is a word many new mothers hear, and many new mothers fear – especially if they have had to deal with it before. There are many levels of jaundice that new parents and their newborn may have to deal with, and it can range from mild to severe.

Jaundice is a condition that will cause a yellowish tint in the skin of some babies shortly after birth. It is caused by a higher than normal amount of bilirubin in the blood that the liver is unable to break down faster than it is made. Several things can lead to the lack of break down and the jaundice in a newborn.

• The baby’s liver may not be developed enough to break down the blood cells
• More bilirubin is being made than the baby can break down
• Bilirubin is being absorbed back into the intestines before it can be passed through stools

Bilirubin numbers will generally be taken in the hospital before you leave. The number your baby should be at changes each day as your baby gets old. As a rule, anything over 20 is considered dangerous; however as a baby approaches that number the doctor may start worrying. Once a bilirubin level hits 20 it can cause deafness, cerebral palsy or brain damage in your baby. In some cases a high level of bilirubin can signify a situation of hepatitis in a baby.

There are several types of jaundice a baby can have. These include Physiological (normal) jaundice, Jaundice of prematurity, Breast milk jaundice and Blood group incompatibility (Rh or ABO problems). Physiological jaundice occurs in 50% of newborns. It normally appears between 2-4 days after birth and can last for a couple of weeks. Jaundice of prematurity is common in premature babies because their livers are generally underdeveloped and can’t expel the bilirubin properly.

Breast milk jaundice can occur when there is a substance in a mother’s milk that causes the bilirubin level to rise. This generally occurs between 4-7 days after birth and can last up till the baby is 10 weeks old. When jaundice is caused by a blood group incompatibility is caused when a mother has a different blood type than her baby. This however can be avoided in some cases now by the mother being given Rh shots while pregnant.

If the jaundice is severe enough there several different “treatments” that your doctor may suggest to help your baby get rid of the bilirubin quicker. There is a specialized blanket that is supposed to help lessen the levels of bilirubin your baby’s blood. If that does not work they have special beds that your baby can “sun-bathe” in, giving your baby phototherapy. During phototherapy there is a special light used to alter the bilirubin and make it easier for your babies’ body to get rid of it. Often times you will be asked to feed your baby more, or to quit nursing temporarily as a way to help the bilirubin clear the body.

If you are afraid your baby has jaundice you should call your pediatrician and get him looked at. Getting some reassurance that your newborn is ok is worth it.

Being a parent is full of trial and error, as well as laughs, tears and groans. Some of those laughs, tears and groans will belong to your baby. One of the many things new moms are worried about regarding their breastfed baby’s is their baby’s poop. Is it too runny, is it the right color, does he go often enough, and is he constipated? These are all questions that new moms will find themselves asking at some point.

Solid vs. Runny
Breastfed baby stool can be all different consistencies, but it is very rarely solid and hard. Normally it is thin and runny, runny enough that many will wonder if their baby has diarrhea. Most of the time the answer is no, however if seems runnier than normal or gets a very distinct smell to it, you should call your pediatrician to make sure it is normal.

Coloring
The normal color of breastfed baby poop is a mustardy yellow color. However early on when mixed with meconium it can be dark black to any shade of green. Once the meconium is gone it is likely that your baby’s stool will change shades if you eat a large amount of a food or a food that is heavily colored. Some say that if mom eats a lot of salad, and then nurses her baby her baby’s poop may end up green. Also, once your baby starts eating baby food his poop will probably change to reflect the food he is eating. When he eats carrots, his poop may look orange; if he ate peas it could be green. The coloring of your baby’s poop will change constantly as your baby’s diet changes and as he gets older.

Timing
Some breastfed babies will have a bowel movement with almost every diaper change. Others will have one only once or twice a day. Either one is normal for a breastfed baby. It is also common for a breastfed baby to go a couple of days without having a bowel movement. If your baby has not had a bowel movement for a long period of time and you are concerned about it be sure to call and ask your baby’s doctor.

Constipation
Newborns in general will make a lot of noise when trying to have a bowel movement. This is because they are learning how to use the muscles that control pushing and holding in the poo. Until they are proficient at controlling these muscles they may grunt and groan a lot sounding like they are constipated. As long as your baby is going on their own and it is not hard, then they are probably not constipated. If you are unsure however or worried about it be sure to ask your pediatrician at your next well-check.