Nutrition is one of the most important topics a parent of a newborn has to research and learn a lot about. Everything concerning nutrition is very important, so no wonder why so many parents are stressing out over every small detail. In this article, you can find some of the most important tips that will help you take care of your baby in the best way possible.
Don’t give your baby anything else other than baby formula or breast milk
Your baby’s organism won’t even be able to even process other types of food. Stick with these two and don’t try experimenting for the first few months of their life. Breast milk is a perfect choice for babies, but if for some reason you can give it to them, choose the safest baby formula that you can find.
Understand the signs your baby is giving you
If your baby is hungry, it will show it to you. However, at first, it might be difficult to understand when it’s time. They will smack their lips, move their hands to their mouth, and suck on their fists and hands. These are the early signs of hunger when the later cues include crying and fussing. This is why it’s best to learn how to detect signs of hunger as early as possible.
Learn the feeding schedule
Every newborn is different, which means that there is no precise time when you should be feeding your baby. However, on average, newborns need food every 1-3 hours, and the stretch between those will get bigger over time since they will need nursing less when they get a little bit older. The best way to feed your baby is to give them food on demand, meaning that you’ll feed them when they get hungry. However, it’s important to not overfeed them and look for signs of fullness when feeding.
Consider giving nutritional supplements
Even though breast milk contains most of the important nutrients, there is one thing your baby won’t receive from it – vitamin D. If you’re feeding with a formula, check the infant formula ingredients – some formulas are vitamin D-fortified. In a case where a mom is a vegetarian, it can also be a good idea to provide your baby with some B12 vitamins. Otherwise, all the necessary nutrients and vitamins will already come in the formula or a breast milk.
Don’t introduce water, juices, or solid foods too early
Once again, breast milk or baby formula is literally everything your newborn needs. These are packed with nutrients and vitamins, and even though it might be a little boring to only give one thing to your baby, it’s the best way to do things. Water and juices are not good for your baby’s stomach, and they can be very dangerous at early stages of life. You will have to go on like this for around 6 months, and after that, you can start giving small amounts of water and juice, as well as look for signs of readiness for solids.
Don’t forget about taking care of yourself as well
Remember that the quality of your lifestyle directly impacts your baby’s health and well-being. This is especially important to keep in mind when you’re breastfeeding since if what you eat is not very healthy, your breast milk’s quality will also be lower. Moreover, if you’re constantly stressed out, there are higher chances of making a mistake or missing something. Get some rest when you can, and don’t hesitate to ask for help — there are definitely people around who would be more than happy to help you out, so don’t think you have to do everything alone.
