Everything you need to know about feeding your baby for the first year. Whether your breastfeeding, bottle feeding, or doing a combination of the two, I have the information to help you.
You feel like you’re so ready for a night away, but your baby is refusing their bottle. How can you leave them for any stretch of time if they can’t eat? Are you stuck waiting for them to wean before you get some time alone?
No! There are so many things you can try.
When your baby is relying on you for nutrition, you definitely feel the pressure. You may be concerned that your milk isn’t “good enough” for your baby, especially if they are on the smaller side. Is it possible to actually make breastmilk fattier to help increase the calories that your baby is getting?
Yes and no. Your milk changes throughout the day, no matter what you do. There are certain factors, like the time since the last feed, that can significantly affect the fat levels of your milk, but there aren’t any magical foods or supplements to take that will change the amount of fat in your breastmilk. The type of diet you eat will change the type of fat in your breastmilk, so having a balanced diet is important.
With the recent announcement that import formulas are here to stay, you may be wondering if you should choose a goat milk infant formula. Until recently, these formulas were not available in the US, so you were required to import them yourself. Formula advocates were recommending against using imported formulas previously, but now all of a sudden, there’s been an influx to the market and you may be wondering if goat milk is the right choice for your baby.
One thing you may notice when looking at gentle formulas is that many of them have reduced lactose. Many adults are lactose intolerant, so if your baby is having poop problems, it would make sense to remove something that upsets the stomach of so many. Before you can decided if a lactose free formula is right for your family, you need to understand what lactose is and why it’s in formula in the first place.
If you are formula feeding your baby right now, odds are you are constantly searching for the newest formula update. There have been changes to processes, new formulas available, and a lot of finger pointing.
Chances are that if you are formula feeding, you also don’t have the time to research all the new updates as they come. It feels like there are new updates every few days! Here are some of the basics so that you can see if a new formula is the right fit for your family.
You’re walking down the formula aisle and see (overpriced) nursery water and wonder “Is this the best water for my baby’s formula?” As if choosing a formula wasn’t complicated enough, now you must figure out what to mix with it. Formula is already so expensive, does the water need to be too? While the best water for your baby formula depends on a few different factors, most of the time, you don’t need to pay a premium. No matter which water you choose, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend to mix powdered formula with hot water to kill a rare, but deadly bacteria that can be found in powdered formula.
Whether it’s holiday gatherings, holiday shopping, or children’s holiday productions, the holiday season can be very tricky when you’re breastfeeding. Holidays and breastfeeding can each be stressful on their own, so the combination can be overwhelming. Here are 9 tips to have a successful holiday season while maintaining milk supply.
You may find yourself surrounded by desserts this holiday season and may be wondering if it’s ok to give your baby a taste of some of them. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no added sugar until age 2. This can be really hard to achieve, especially if you have older kids. Is it bad to give your baby a taste of chocolate? Probably not, as long as it’s not a regular occurrence.
Whether you’re supplementing while breastfeeding, exclusively formula feeding, or just wanting to have a back-up ready, choosing an infant formula can be a daunting task. The formula aisle is filled with competing claims all stating that their formula will make your baby stronger or smarter. How do you even get started?
