Parenting Guide on Food for the First Year of your Baby

A DAILY FOOD PLAN. In the interest of meeting individual needs, babies' diets should not be rigidly standardized. However, the first year should see a gradual transition to the following broad pattern. This means working toward including in the diet,daily, suitable portions of foods selected from each of the following groups:

Milk group, including cheese and ice cream

Meat group, including beef, veal, pork, lamb, poultry, fish, eggs (dry beans, peas and nuts as occasional alternates for older children and adults).

Vegetable-Fruit group, including a dark green or deep yellow vegetable (for vitamin A value) and citrus fruit or other good vitamin C source, daily.

Bread-Cereal group, emphasizing the whole grain, enriched or restored varieties.

This daily food plan is a practical one to follow. It's so general, it can be used for persons of all ages, and in accordance with national, regional or social food patterns and individual likes and dislikes. It is a simple, flexible and enjoyable way of consuming an adequate diet without worrying about individual nutrients.

Milk. Traditionally, milk is the principal food of babies and plays a major role in the diets of young children. This food, provided by Nature of young mammals, furnishes a wide variety of important nutrients. Whole milk contains significant amounts of vitamin A, riboflavin and thiamine. It is the best practical source of calcium and a good source of phosphorous. The proteins in milk are present in liberal amounts and are of excellent quality, well utilized in the growth of infants and children. Milk contributes many trace minerals and several of the lesser known vitamins.

It would be difficult to argue against the "rightness" of human milk for human babies. Most mothers who wish to can breast feed but many factors can influence this personal choice. It is well to make a tentative choice between breast and formula feeding well before the baby is born. Either methods gets off to a better start with advance preparation. The final decision for or against breast feeding should rest with the mother and her doctor.

Today. most babies can be expected to thrive on formula feeding if that choice is made. The availability of "clean" milk and improved standards of food handling in homes have made it safe from a sanitary standpoint.

Your baby's doctor should prescribed and approximate schedule for artificial feeding. His directions will be based on your baby's own nutritional and digestive needs. He might prescribe a formula made by mixing definite proportions of evaporated or fresh milk, water and sugar. But he is more likely to specify one of the convenient "premodified" milk formulas on the market today, which for most babies only need diluting with an equal amount of boiled water. Many physicians today prefer the formulas with added iron for routine use.

Despite its nutritional excellence, plain cow's milk doesn't qualify as a "perfect food". Even in the generous quantities usually fed babies, it fails to supply sufficient vitamin D, vitamin C, thiamine and iron. That's why doctors recommend the introduction of "supplementary foods" before a baby's body stores of these nutrients are depleted. 

Parenting Tips on Baby's Thumbsucking

It is believed that babies have an instinctive need to thumb-suck to some extent. It is further believed that the underlying cause is the need for more food or more love.

Sucking is the baby's means of satisfying hunger; the baby who suck his thumb may not be getting enough food; or he may be suffering from another type of hunger - he may not be getting sufficient affection.

Using mechanical restraints or bitter-tasting applications on his fingers won't correct either of these basic needs. The important remedy is to remove the under lying cause - whether its the need for more food or more love. Make sure that Baby is well nourished, comfortable and happy. It's likely that he'll stop his thumb-sucking sooner than you expect.

Helpful Facts on Bottle Feeding with Formula S-26

The best alternative or supplement to your own breast milk is Formula S-26, a complete and modern infant formula. Babies raised on this food will grow, sleep, and thrive as well as breast fed babies.

The protein in Formula S-26 is of the same quality and quantity as that in human milk - 60% lactalbumin and 40% casein. The protein in cow's milk formula and in most canned milk formulas is 80% hard to digest casein and 20% lactalbumin. Formula S-26 is far more digestible, and si less likely to produce milk allergy, colic, "spitting up", diarrhea or constipation. The concentration of minerals in this formula is close to that of mothers milk - 250 mg. per 100cc. This protects Baby's immature kidney, which has only half the concentrating capacity of yours, from the stress of a mineral overload. Thus he is protected from dehydration even during hot weather, when he is likely to lose more water due to perspiration.

Formula S-26 contains lactose, or milk sugar, as its only carbohydrate, just as your own milk does, while most canned or cow's milk formulas require the addition of further carbohydrate. Lactose helps promote development of firm tissues, essential nerve and brain structures, and aids normal bowel function.

The fat in formula S-26 is a digestible, carefully balanced blend of oils, rich in unsaturated fatty acids. This protects Baby from skin rashes, reduces gastrointestinal upsets, and improves vitamin utilization. This formula  also contains the correct quantities of essential vitamins and trace elements needed for normal body functions, eliminating the need for vitamin mineral supplements.

All these features of formula S-26 afford Baby a food which closely resembles mother's milk in its composition, digestibility and nutritional value. In addition formula S-26 is easy to prepare, and comes in convenient, easy to open cans.

A Simple Guide For Feeding Baby a Prepared Formula

Breast feeding may not be possible at all or there may be time when a bottle of prepared formula is necessary or desired. The following are general instructions for feeding baby a prepared formula. Your physician will tell you if there are special instructions for your baby.

It is recommended that the normal infant be fed as much formula as he desires, thus paralleling the dietary habit of breast fed infants.

Remember that each baby is an individual and may not adhere strictly to a feeding schedule. The time of feeding should be regulated to the baby's appetite, not to strict rule. The average length of feeding time ranges from 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the vigor of the infant. Sterile water may be given in between feedings.

Sit in a comfortable chair and hold Baby close to you so that he has a feeling of warmth and security. Hold Baby semi upright in your arms, as though you were breast feeding.

Raise the bottom of the bottle so that the nipple is full of milk. This prevents Baby from sucking air. If the nipple collapses, it may be necessary to take the nipple from Baby's mouth to let air into the bottle.

Nipple hole must be right. It should be just large enough to permit the milk to drop out freely without flowing in a steady stream. If the hole is too large, discard nipple and replace with a new one. If the hole is too small, enlarge with a hot needle held firmly with a cork.

Tips On Storing Breast Milk so it Wont get Spoiled

Breast milk has a longer shelf life than infant formula. Breast milk has live antibodies that fight germs. It's called living milk. It's resistant to spoilage.

Breast milk can stay outside at room temperature for a whole day. In the refrigerator, it stays good for a day. In the freezer, it's good for months. However, if the milk has been touched, meaning your baby has drank from the bottle, then it may spoil more easily.

Make sure your baby sitter or yaya strictly follows storing, thawing, and heating procedures for breastmilk.