The first half of this hefty text serves as a comprehensive parenting manual, and includes a month-by-month guide to the first year, nutritional information, basic care instructions, and physical, emotional, and social developmental milestones for children up to 5 years old.

While the American Academy of Pediatrics represents the mainstream child-rearing philosophies embraced by thousands of baby doctors, it does not reflect the entire gamut of child-rearing theory. (There’s no discussion, for instance, of breast-feeding past the first year or co-sleeping.)

The second half of the book includes a thorough, easy-to-navigate emergency first-aid section, plus detailed information about childhood illnesses, immunization schedules and side effects, and family structures, as well as a discussion of behavioral issues. Caring for Your Baby and Young Child is useful, sensible, and carefully researched, and makes a trustworthy addition to any parent’s bookshelf. –Ericka Lutz

Buy at amazon Caring for Your Baby and Young Child, Revised Edition: Birth to Age 5

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When you hold your baby for the first time in the delivery room, you should put his lips to your breast.  Although your mature milk hasn’t developed yet, your breasts are still producing a substance known as colostrum that helps to protect your baby from infections.

If your baby has trouble finding or staying on your nipple, you shouldn’t panic.  Breast feeding is an art that will require a lot of patience and a lot of practice.  No one expects you to be an expert when you first start, so you shouldn’t hesitate to ask for advice or have a nurse show you what you need to do.

Once you start, keep in mind that nursing shouldn’t be painful.  When your baby latches on, pay attention to how your breasts feel.  If the latching on hurts, break the suction then try again.

You should nurse quite frequently, as the more you nurse the more quickly your mature milk will come in and the more milk you’ll produce.  Breast feeding for 10 – 15 minutes per breast 8 – 10 times every 24 hours is an ideal target.  Crying is a sign of hunger, which means you should actually feed your baby before he starts crying.

During the first few days, you may have to wake your baby to begin breast feeding, and he may end up falling asleep during feeding.  To ensure that your baby is eating often enough, you should wake him up if it has been four hours since the last time he has been fed.

Getting comfortable, feedings can take 40 minutes or longer, therefore you’ll want a cozy spot.  You don’t want to be sitting somewhere where you will be bothered, as it can make the process very hard.

For some people, the process of breast feeding seems to come natural, although there’s a level of skill required for successful feeding and a correct technique to use.  Incorrect Breast Feeding Positioning is one of the biggest reasons for unsuccessful feeding and it can even injure the nipple or breast quite easily.

By stroking the baby’s cheek with the nipple, the baby will open its mouth towards the nipple, which should then be pushed in so that the baby will get a mouthful of nipple and areola.  This breast feeding position is known as latching on.  A lot of women prefer to wear a nursing bra to allow easier access to the breast than other normal bras.

The length of feeding time will vary.  Regardless of the duration of feeding time, it’s important for mothers to be comfortable. The following are Breast Feeding Positions you can use:

1. Upright – The sitting position where the back is straight.
2. Mobile – Mobile is where the mother carries her baby in a sling or carrier while breast feeding.  Doing this allows the mother to breast feed in the work of everyday life.
3. Lying down – This is good for night feeds or for those who have had a caesarean section.
4. On her back – The mother is sitting slightly upright, also a useful position for tandem breast feeding.
5. On her side – The mother and baby both lie on their sides.
6. Hands and knees – In this feeding position the mother is on all fours with the baby underneath her.  Keep in mind, this position isn’t normally recommended.

Anytime you don’t feel comfortable with a feeding position, always stop and switch to a different position.  Each Breast Feeding Position is different, while some mothers prefer one position, other’s may like a totally different position.  All you need to do is experiment and see which position is best for you.

Almost all women don’t have a problem with producing enough milk to breast feed.  The ideal way to make sure that your baby is getting enough milk is to be sure that he’s well positioned, attached to the breast, and feed him as often as he gets hungry.

Some mom’s that are breast feeding will stop before they want to, simply because they don’t think they have enough breast milk.

There are signs that might make you believe your baby isn’t getting enough milk (Poor Milk Supply).  If your baby seems hungry or unsettled after feeding, or if he wants to feed often with short pauses between feedings, you may think he isn’t getting enough milk – which are often times not the case.

There are however, two reliable signs that let you know your baby isn’t getting enough milk.  If your baby has poor or really slow weight gain, or is passing small amounts of concentrated urine, he’s not getting enough milk.

All babies will lose weight within the first few days after birth.  Babies are born with supplies of fat and fluids, which will help them keep going for the first several days.

Once your baby regains birth weight, he should begin putting on around 200g for the first four months or so.  To get back to their birth weight, it normally takes a few weeks.

If the weight gain for your baby seems to be slow, don’t hesitate to ask your doctor or nurse to observe you breast feeding.  This way, they can make sure that your technique is right and if they think your baby is breast feeding often enough.

To help you with your breast feeding, here are some ways that you can increase your supply of milk:

1. Be sure that your baby is positioned correctly and attached to your breast.
2. Let your baby feed for as long and often as he wants.
3. If you feel that your baby isn’t breast feeding enough, offer him more breast feeds.
4. During each breast feed, make sure you feed from both breasts.
5. If your baby has been using a dummy, make sure you stop him.
6. Some babies may be sleepy and reluctant to feed, which may be the cause of problems with milk supply.

By following the above tips, you’ll do your part in making sure you have enough milk when it comes time to breast feed.  If you are uncertain or have other questions, be sure to ask your doctor, as he can answer any type of question you may have.

Sometimes, a baby that is breast fed may suddenly decide to refuse breast feeding.  The baby will pull away from the breast, then toss his head from side to side.  This can happen at anytime, so there really is no way to predict it happening.

Reasons why, Refusal to feed from the breast (Breast Feed) could occur when the baby is in pain. Normally, this can be due to an ear infection, sore head from vacuum delivery, thrush in the baby’s mouth, or teething.

The use of dummies, teats or nipple shields may also contribute to refusal.  Some babies actually find it difficult to feed from the breast and bottle as the sucking action is very different.  Some become confused, therefore it’s always best to avoid using any type of teats or dummies.

Sometimes, the milk just takes bitter.  This can be due to antibiotics, if you starting or in the middle of your period, or nipple creams.  If the milk tastes bitter, your baby will normally not want to feed.

Solving the problems, first you should always try to identify what may have caused the breast refusal then begin to treat the cause.  Always remain patient and gentle with your baby.  Be sure to hold your baby next to you, skin to skin, so that he can take the breast when he wants to, so that he begins to realize that  breast feeding is both enjoyable and comfortable.

Older babies may suddenly take shorter and fewer breast feeds, although this can be normal with some babies.  Therefore, it’s always best not to try and make the baby feed longer, but instead let the baby decide how often and also how long each individual feeding will last.

Breast milk is actually the only food your baby will need until 4 months of age, although most babies do well on breast milk alone for 6 months or better.  There is really no advantage to adding other foods or milks before 4 – 6 months, except under unusual circumstances.

Water
Breast milk is over 90% water.  Even in the hottest days of summer, a baby won’t require any extra water.  If a baby isn’t feeding well, they still don’t require any extra water – although they will need the breast feeding problems to be fixed.

Vitamin D
Although breast milk doesn’t contain much vitamin D, it does have a little.  The baby will store up vitamin D during pregnancy, and remain healthy without any vitamin D supplementation, unless you yourself had a problem with vitamin D deficiency when pregnant.

Exposure to the outside will give your baby vitamin D, even in winter and when the sky is covered.  An hour or more exposure during the week will give your baby more than enough vitamin D.

Iron
Breast milk contains less iron than formulas do, especially those that are iron enriched.  Iron will give the baby added protection against infections, as many bacteria need iron in order to multiply.

The iron found in breast milk is utilized well by the baby, while not being available to bacteria.  The introduction of iron should never be delayed beyond the age of 6 months.

Breast milk is the best that your can feed your baby, as it provides everything he will need for probably the first 6 months.  After the first 6 months, you can introduce solid foods to your baby if he is taking an interest to them.

For many years, scientists have been playing out the ingredients that make breast feed milk the perfect food for babies. They’ve discovered to day over 200 close compounds to fight infection, help the immune system mature, aid in digestion, and support brain growth – nature made properties that science simply cannot copy.

The important long term benefits of breast feeding include reduced risk of asthma, allergies, obesity, and some forms of childhood cancer. The more that scientists continue to learn, the better breast milk looks.

In addition to making your baby healthier, breast feeding may also make him smarter. Many studies have proved that breast fed babies tend to be more smarter than babies who were fed with formula or other methods. Breast feeding does help with nutrients and the support of brain growth, which is something every mother should think about.

The benefits for the nursing mom are just as good as they are for the baby. The hormones that are released during breast feeding will curb blood loss post delivery and help to shrink the uterus back to it’s normal size.

Long term, the breast feeding mom will have a lower risk for premenopausal breast cancer, which is the kind that strikes before the age of 50. The benefits will begin to show with three to six months of breast feeding and increase the longer that breast feeding continues.

By now, you should realize that breast milk is one power packed liquid. It offers more for your baby than formula, or any other scientific creation for that matter. As you begin to plan for the future of your baby, make a commitment to breast feeding him for as long as you possibly can – as it will do both your bodies good.

Because more and more women are choosing to breast feed their babies, more and more are also finding that they enjoy it enough to continue longer than the first few months they planned on. Breast feeding to 3 – 4 years of age is common in much of the world recently, and is still common in many societies for toddlers to be breast fed.

Because mothers and babies often enjoy to breast feed, you shouldn’t stop it. After six months, many think that breast milk loses it’s value – which isn’t true. Even after six months, it still contains protein, fat, and other important nutrients which babies and children need.

The fact is, immune factors in breast milk will protect the baby against infections. Breast milk also contains factors that will help the immune system mature, and other organs to develop and mature as well.

It’s been shown and proven in the past that children in daycare who are still breast feeding have far less severe infections than the children that aren’t breast feeding. The mother will lose less work time if she chooses to continue nursing her baby once she is back to work.

If you have thought about breast feeding your baby once he gets passed 6 months of age, you have made a wise decision. Although many feel that it isn’t necessary, breast milk will always help babies and toddlers. Breast milk is the best milk you can give to your baby.

No matter what others may tell you, breast feeding only needs to be stopped when you and the baby agree on it. You don’t have to stop when someone else wants you to – you should only stop when you feel that it’s the right time.

Once you’ve given birth, breast feeding is the single most important thing you can do to protect your baby and help to promote good health. Best of all, breast feeding is free.

Along with saving you money on HMR (Human Milk Replacement), breast feeding can also help you to keep your medical bills down. Babies that are fed with formula get sicker more often and more seriously than babies that are breast fed They also have more ear infections, respiratory infections, and other problems.

This can be even more true if your family has had a history of allergies. When a baby is breast fed, the antibodies pass on from the mother to the baby, helping to protect against illness and allergies. As the baby’s system matures, his body will begin to make it’s own antibodies, and he’ll be more equipped to handle sensitivities of food.

Sucking on the breast will also help with the development or jaw alignment and the development of the cheekbone. For this very reason, there is less of the need for costly orthodontic work when the child gets older.

Unlike formula, breast milk is always ready, always available, convenient, and always the right temperature for feeding. Plus, it contains all of the vitamins and minerals your growing baby needs, saving you a lot of money.

Breast feeding also offers many benefits for the mom as well. The baby sucking at the breast will cause contractions right after birth, leading to less bleeding for the mom, and helping her uterus to it’s shape before pregnancy much faster.

Breast feeding will also burn calories, so a mom can lose weight much faster than if she fed her baby with a bottle. Breast feeding will also create a special bond with the mother and the baby – which is one thing formula simply cannot do.

Many women find that they can eat whatever they may like during breast feeding.  Even though it’s true that some stongly favored foods can change the taste of your milk, many babies seem to enjoy the varieties of breast milk flavors.  Occasionally, your baby may get cranky at the breast after you eat certain foods.  If you notice this happening, simply avoid that particular food.

The most common offenders duing breast feeding include chocolate, spices, citrus fruits, garlic, chili, lime, gassy vegetables, and fruits with laxative type effects, such as prunes and cherries.

You can have a cup or two of coffee a day, although too much caffeine can interfere with your baby’s sleep and even make him or her cranky.  Keep in mind, caffeine is found in many soda’s, tea, and even over the counter type medicine as well.

It’s okay to have an alcoholic beverage every now and the, although having more than one drink can increase your blood alcohol level, putting the alcohol into your breast milk.

If you are planning to have more than one drink at a time, it’s best to wait two hours or more per drink before you resume any type of nursing or breast feeding.  There is no need to pump and dump unless your breasts are full and its time to feed your baby.  While breast feeding, any type of heavy drinking should be avoided.

Before you actually omit any foods from your diet, you should talk to your doctor.  If you avoid certain foods and it causes a nutritional imbalance, you may need to see a nutritionist for advice on taking other foods or getting nutritional supplements.