-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 "formula;" 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 "come; 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 "stressed-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 ("pump;") 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. - <*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~<*>~ Cindy, RN, IBCLC Virginia , USA mailto:[log in to unmask] http://www.tidalwave.net/~cindy