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 baby formula with iron is all I need to grow and develop for my first 6 months.
No extra water or fluids beyond breast milk or baby formula are needed. Too much water can cause health concerns.
No extra water or fluids beyond breast milk or baby formula are needed. Too much water can cause health concerns.
Breastfeeding
You Have What I Need To Grow.
Breast milk is the perfect food for me.
- It has all the nutrients I need to help me stay healthy and not get sick.
- Your breast milk changes as I grow. The longer we breastfeed, the better.
Talk with our healthcare provider if we are exclusively breastfeeding to ask if I need extra vitamin D. Ask about an iron supplement when I’m about 6 months old.
Formula Feeding
If I drink formula, it’s important to mix the ingredients the right way. Follow the mixing directions on the can. It isn’t safe to add more or less water to the bottle unless you are directed to do so by a physician.
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 I start feeding, throw away any formula left in the bottle after 1 hour.
Use small, 4 ounce sized bottles, until I am 2 months or older, to help prevent overfeeding.
Choose the nipple based on my age and development. If the opening is too large, the milk may flow too fast causing me to swallow too much air and eat too quickly. And too small of an opening may cause me to become frustrated and give up before finishing the feeding.
Paced Bottle Feeding
Help me be in control of how fast or slow to eat with paced bottle feeding. This can help prevent overfeeding, which can be uncomfortable for me. After a few days I will learn how to pace myself while I eat – taking breaks when I need them and then continuing to eat.
Whether it’s breast milk or formula in my bottle:
- Offer me 2 to 3 ounces of breast milk or formula in a small, 4 ounce bottle with a slow flow nipple.
- Hold me on your lap in a semi-upright position, supporting my head and neck.
- Tickle my lip so I open wide, then help me get a good latch on the bottle nipple.
- Hold the bottle flat (or sideways) and let me start sucking on the empty nipple, then tip the bottle just a little so about half the nipple fills with milk.
- Let me suck for about 20-30 seconds, so I get about 3-5 swallows, then tip the bottle back down to give me a quick break.
- When I start to suck again, tip the bottle again so more milk flows into the nipple.
- Trust me to know when I am done eating by watching for signs I am full – I might stop sucking after taking a break, turn my head away, or push away from the nipple.
Keep prepared bottles in a refrigerator until you are ready to feed me and use them within 24 hours.
Never microwave breast milk or formula. “Hot spots” can burn my mouth. Ouch! Warm up my 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 me stay awake while you feed me. Please don’t prop up my bottle. I could choke or get an ear infection.
I Need to Eat Often
My stomach is small.
Birth to 3 Months
4 to 6 Months
Birth to 3 Months
My tummy can hold about 2 to 3 ounces at a time.
I will want to eat 8 to 12 times in 24 hours.
Feed me every 1½ to 3 hours.
4 to 6 Months
My tummy can hold about 4 to 6 ounces at a time.
I will want to eat 6 to 8 times in 24 hours.
Remember, all babies are different. I may eat different amounts from one day to the next. As I become older and my stomach grows, I 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
Growth Spurts
As I grow, my routine might change, and I may want to eat and sleep more than usual. These are called growth spurts.
Eating for pregnancy
All babies are different, but my growth spurts might happen when I’m around the ages of:
2 to 3 weeks
4 to 6 weeks
3 months
4 months
6 months
9 months
Your body also knows what I need and will make more milk to keep up with my growth spurts. The more often you breastfeed or pump, the more milk you will make.
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.
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
4 to 6 Months
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. We can share a room, but not the same bed. I could suffocate if a blanket, pillow, or toy covers my mouth or nose.
- Wash your hands before making my food and feeding me.
- After I eat, wipe my gums with a clean, soft, wet cloth, especially before bed.
- Wait until I’m about 6 months of age before offering solid foods. I need time to develop my immune system and strengthen the muscles in my mouth to eat and swallow foods properly. If I’m given solid foods before I’m ready, I could choke or get sick.
DON’T let me have these foods until I am at least 1 year old:
Cow’s milk or other non-dairy milks (like soy or almond milk). It’s too hard for me 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
If my healthcare provider says it is ok, let me try peanut butter around 6 months of age. Doing this might help prevent a peanut allergy as I grow older.
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.
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