Facts on Feeding

Cuddles, kisses, and consistency. To baby, these are a few of his

favorite things. Add in proper nutrition, and you are on the path to
parenting success. Whether the nourishment comes from a bottle or
breast, only you can choose. Both are discussed here for your knowledge
and heartfelt deliberation. No matter what your choice, know that
successful lactation alone, like raindrops on roses, will not deliver
perfection in parenting. There is much more to good mothering than just
bringing a baby to the breast.
Feeding your baby is perhaps the most basic task of managing your
infant. Since a baby’s sucking and rooting reflexes are well developed at
birth, he will satisfy those reflexes by rooting and sucking on anything
near his mouth. Whether feeding is accomplished by a bottle or the breast
is not nearly as important as the gentle, tender cuddling you give him
during feeding. Your decision to bottle-or breast-feed must be free of any
coercion or manipulation. Guilt or a quest for approval is never in line
with clear thinking. Instead, confidently base your decision on accurate,
honest information.
Nothing beats breast-feeding for physiological benefits to baby.
That’s plain fact. Mother’s milk is the complete and perfect food, nothing
short of miraculous. Easily digested, it provides excellent nutrition and
contains the right balance of proteins and fats. It also provides the
additional antibodies necessary for building your baby’s immune

system.^1
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, there is strong
evidence that breast milk decreases the incidence and or severity of
diarrhea, lower respiratory infection, bacterial meningitis, and urinary