HELLO WORLD
I am your baby. You are my everything.
Please help me grow strong in body, heart, and mind. I grow best when you:
- Hold me skin-to-skin or cuddle me. I feel safe in your arms.
- Smile and talk to me. I learn so much from you.
- Listen to me when I “talk” to you. I use my body movements and noises to tell you when I am hungry, full, uncomfortable, or just tired.
Breast milk or infant formula with iron is all a baby needs to grow and develop for the first 6 months.
Breastfeeding
You Have What I Need To Grow.
Breast milk is perfect for a baby to grow.
- It has all the nutrients a baby needs to stay healthy and not get sick.
- Breast milk changes as a baby grows. The longer a baby is breastfed, the better.
Talk with your healthcare provider if you are exclusively breastfeeding to ask if extra vitamin D is necessary or if an iron supplement is needed at 6 months old. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
Formula Feeding
If your baby drinks formula, it’s important to mix the ingredients the right way. Follow the mixing directions on the can.
Always add water to the bottle first, then the powder formula.
Always use the scoop provided in the can of formula. Make sure it is level.
Use prepared infant formula within 2 hours after taking it out of the refrigerator.
Once your baby starts a feeding, throw away any formula left in the bottle after 1 hour.
Water
Healthy babies under 6 months old do not usually need to be given water bottles.
Paced Bottle Feeding
Whether it's breast milk or infant formula:
Start by offering only a small amount at a time, 2 to 3 ounces of breast milk or formula.
Let me be in control of how fast I drink from the bottle.
Trust me to know when I am full. Please don’t make me finish a bottle.
Keep prepared bottles in a refrigerator until you are ready to feed and use them within 24 hours.
Never microwave breast milk or infant formula. "Hot spots" can burn a baby's mouth. Warm up bottles in hot water instead.
I Need Your Touch
Hold me when you feed me.
I feel safe with you and love to look at your face.
Sometimes I may take a break from eating, even though I’m not full yet. I just want to rest or share some special time with you.
Help your baby stay awake during feedings. Do not prop the bottle. It could cause your baby to choke or get an ear infection.
I Need to Eat Often
My stomach is small.
CHERRY
Day 1
Size of a cherry : 1-7.4 teaspoons
Walnut
Day 3
Size of a walnut : 0.075-1 ounce
Apricot
One Week
Size of an apricot : 1.5-2 ounces
Egg
One Month
Size of a large egg : 2.5-5 ounces
Birth to 1 Month
A newborn's stomach is growing bigger every day. By 1 month of age, a newborn's stomach can hold about 2 to 3 ounces at a time.
1 to 3 Months
An infant's stomach can hold about 2 to 4 ounces at a time.
An infant feeds 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.
Human milk is easier to digest and will digest fully in 1 1/2 hours.
Feeds are every 1 1/2 to 3 hours.
Watch for infant feeding cues to know your baby is satisfied.
4 to 6 Months
An infant's stomach can hold about 4 to 6 ounces at a time.
Feedings are 6 to 8 times in 24 hours.
Remember, all babies are different. They eat different amounts from one day to the next. As babies become older their stomach grows, so they may eat less often, but can eat more at each feeding.
Look for My Signs
I use body movements and make noises to let you know what I need. If you look for these signs, you can respond to me before I start to cry. I am much easier to feed when I am calm.
“I’M HUNGRY”
When I’m starting to get hungry, I might:
- Bring hands to or near my mouth
- Move arms and legs
- Make sucking noises
- Move mouth or tongue
- Turn head or search for the nipple (root)
“I’M Full”
When I’m feeling full, I might:
- Suck slower or stop sucking
- Relax hands and arms
- Turn away from the nipple
- Push away
- Fall asleep
- Frown, fuss, or kick if you keep feeding me
Tip
If I act hungry after I finish a feeding, offer me the breast again. If I am taking a bottle, offer me another ounce or two.
Growth Spurts
As babies grow, their routine might change, and they may want to eat and sleep more than usual. These are called growth spurts.
All babies are different, but my growth spurts might happen when I’m around the ages of:
Your body will adjust to the amount of milk needed to keep up with growth spurts. The more you breastfeed or pump, the more milk you will make.
PLAY WITH ME!
I’m ready to learn about you, me, and the world we live in. I want to discover what my body can do.
Give me tummy time when we play.
When I’m alert and relaxed, put me on a blanket on the floor. Watch how I stretch and kick my legs and move my arms. I’m making them stronger.
Playing helps me learn, improve coordination, build strength, explore, and bond with you!
Look what I can do!
I learn best when I feel happy, loved, and safe.
Birth to 3 Months
The world is new to me. It can be scary. I may cry a lot at first.
- Crying is my way to say I need you.
- When we are skin-to-skin, I calm down. I learn that you care.
- Holding me will not spoil me.
I must learn what day and night are.
- At first, I sleep, wake up and eat, and go back to sleep often. This is normal and helps me grow.
- After I am 3 months old, I may sleep for longer periods of time.
- Please be patient as I learn.
I know your voice.
- I like to hear you talk.
4 to 6 Months
I start to settle into a routine.
- I can sleep longer at night.
I’m growing strong and active.
- I can hold my head up.
- I know my name when you say it.
- I babble ba-ba-ba!
- I can laugh.
- Let’s play peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.
Please read to me.
- Show me the pictures and tell me what they are.
KEEP ME SAFE AND HEALTHY
ALWAYS put me to sleep…
ALONE on my
BACK, and in my
CRIB or PACK-N-PLAY.
You can share a room with your baby, but not the same bed. A baby can suffocate if a blanket, pillow, or toy is placed in the baby's bed.
Wash your hands before making food and feedings.
Clean your baby's gums and teeth with a clean, wet, soft cloth or a soft rubber or silicone finger brush after each feeding. Begin using a soft toothbrush with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth appears.
Wait until your baby is 6 months of age before offering solid foods. Time is needed to develop the immune system and strengthen the mouth muscles to eat and swallow foods properly.
Do not feed solid foods before a baby is ready. It can cause your baby to choke or get sick.
DO NOT let your baby have these foods until they are at least 1 year old:
Cow’s milk or other non-dairy milks (like soy or almond milk). It’s too hard for your baby to digest and may cause health problems.
Honey and foods made with honey. Honey can contain bacteria that cause infant botulism, or food poisoning. These bacteria are harmless to older kids and adults.
Introducing Peanut Butter
Healthcare providers say its ok to try peanut butter around 6 months of age. Doing this might help prevent a peanut allergy.
- In the morning, mix one teaspoon of peanut butter with breast milk or formula. Make it thin and easy to swallow.
- Use a spoon to offer a taste of the thinned product. Wait 10 minutes, then offer more. Watch for any reaction for the next 2 hours.
For additional support, contact your local WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor or WIC Designated Breastfeeding Expert for breastfeeding questions.
