-The following is on this site :
http://members.aol.com/AllianceMD/booklet.html#nursing

Maybe a few letters are in order.... ????


For the nursing mother

Your breast milk is the ideal &quotformula;" for your baby, and we
recommend nursing for the first year of life.

Your first milk, colostrum, is a yellow or whitish fluid which is
produced in the first few days of nursing. It provides extra protein
and minerals, and also supplies antibodies which help your newborn fight
infection. The mature milk which is produced after
colostrum may appear thin and watery. (Do not compare it to cow's milk.)
It will take 2-3 days for your milk to &quotcome;
in." Nature provides for this by giving babies a few ounces of extra
water when they are born. All babies lose this extra weight
in the first few days, then gain it back as they start to grow. A
nursing baby does not need to drink water.

It is best to begin feeding gradually. Start by nursing about 3-5
minutes at each breast, and increase slowly to 10-15 minutes
each. It is usually not necessary to nurse longer than this, as your
baby gets almost all of the milk available in the first 8-10
minutes. Try to alternate which side you start with, and nurse from both
breasts each time your baby feeds.

It is common for babies to seem uninterested in feeding for the first
day or two, so do not be discouraged. A nursing baby will
want to feed every 2-3 hours on the average, somewhat more often than a
bottle-fed baby. This is normal and does not indicate
a problem with your milk supply.

In order to maintain a good supply of milk, it is important for you to
drink plenty of fluids (not necessarily milk) yourself.
Continue taking your prenatal vitamins while nursing. Also, get plenty
of rest and try to reduce stress. (Sometimes easier said
than done, with a new baby at home. Let me know if you are feeling
&quotstressed-out.;") It is rare that a nursing baby is
bothered by the foods that his mother eats, except for vegetables in the
cabbage family and foods that contain caffeine such as
chocolate, colas, and coffee.

A common complaint among nursing mothers is chapping of the nipples. As
usual, nature provides the simplest solution. After
nursing, gently squeeze your nipple to express a few drops of milk, and
massage on the nipple. If this does not help, use a small
amount of lanolin cream after nursing. Wash the lanolin off before your
baby nurses again.

If you find it inconvenient or embarrassing to nurse your baby
exclusively, you may supplement in a variety of ways. Any good
baby formula may be used to supplement from the bottle. Or, you may wish
to express (&quotpump;") the milk from your
breasts to use in a bottle. Store the milk in your refrigerator for use
within 24-48 hours, or freeze it to save it longer. We
recommend using Nuk(TM) nipples on the bottle, as they most closely
simulate nursing. Do not enlarge the hole in the nipple.
Remember that the more you supplement, the sooner you are likely to stop
nursing.



Bottle feeding

Although we recommend nursing, there are a few advantages to bottle
feeding which you may consider. Fathers can help with
bottle feeding, and it is still better accepted in public. Formula
feeding is much more expensive, however, and more equipment
and time is needed.

A bottle fed baby will generally want to feed every 3-4 hours. We
recommend using any of the standard formulas such as
Enfamil(TM) with iron, Similac(TM) with iron, or SMA(TM) with iron.
These formulas contain all of the protein, fat,
carbohydrate, vitamins, and minerals necessary for normal growth and
development. Additional vitamins are not necessary.
Unless your baby has a specific problem, there is no medical reason to
choose one brand over another. If you see advertising
for different baby formulas, do not be misled. Ask my advice before
changing formula. (The American Academy of Pediatrics
has issued a policy statement against formula ads in magazines and on
TV. I request that you avoid using formula which is
advertised in the media, and ask your friends to do the same.)

It is best not to use a microwave oven to heat bottles. They can cause
uneven heating of the formula and burn your baby.
Always hold your baby and feed in an upright or semi-upright position.
Never prop the bottle in his mouth. Do not let your baby
get into the habit of taking a bottle in the crib or bed. It is OK to
use a pacifier to satisfy the desire to suck.

Feed as much as your baby wants. After the first 1-2 weeks, a newborn
will usually take 3-5 ounces of formula at a feeding. If
your baby seems hungry more often than every 2 hours, you should look
for another reason for the crying.

Make sure you are using an iron-fortified formula. Iron in the formula
does not cause constipation, gas, cramps, or other
problems. It will not stain the teeth. It is needed to build the blood
supply and prevent anemia as your baby grows.

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<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~
Cindy, RN, IBCLC
 Virginia , USA
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   http://www.tidalwave.net/~cindy