As you are very likely aware, a mother's breast milk is by far the most nutritional thing for your newborn to eat. Sadly, for quite a few women it's just not possible to breast-feed regularly, or sometimes even at all. Even though this can be quite hard to take for the mother, we are lucky to live in a day and age in which formula can be used to supplement or feed our children.
As a new parent, it might be very difficult to know exactly what to do when it comes to breast-feeding. How do I know if my baby is getting enough to eat? Should I try give my baby formula instead? How do I know how much formula to give my baby? How do I know if I'm giving my baby the correct formula that he needs? These can all be very difficult questions to answer.
I wish to let you know that you shouldn't be stressed. You might be surprised to discover that infants can endure even on very little nutrition, although that is of course not the most healthy thing. If your baby is not getting enough to eat, it will definitely let you know in a few different ways. For starters, if you are breast-feeding your baby or feeding with a bottle, the baby will try to latch back on again if you take the food away. Also, babies are known to cry and get cranky when they are still hungry and not getting any food to eat. Conversely, when a baby is full and doesn't want to read any more they are visibly satisfied and may even begin to fall asleep.
You'll find that if your baby is getting enough to eat, it will start to quickly put on weight after the first week of eating, and require a diaper change more than five times a day. If you notice these two things in your baby then you can rest assured that he is healthy and there is no need to worry. In general, I baby needs approximately 2 ounces of breast milk or formula per 1 pound of body weight. Of course, this won't go for every baby, therefore you will need to adjust slightly for your own.
You may also try using a breast pump store breastmilk ahead of time for your baby to eat. This can be very handy if you are a busy mother, or if you might be out and about with your baby and may not be able to breast-feed. Using a breast pump also has health benefits, for instance alleviating swollen breasts which can sometimes occur, as well as promoting more breastmilk production in the body. I'd definitely highly recommend a breast pump to most mothers, as they are simply a great thing to have if you breast-feed your children.
If you opt to go with a breast pump, be sure to research and read breast pump reviews prior to getting one. There are many different types that you can purchase and you want to make sure that you get the one that's ideal for you.
Author Resource:
If you're a new parent, I'd recommend reading my website on caring for your kids . Also, I'd strongly suggest reading breast pump reviews on pumps such as the Medela Swing Breast Pump