Q. What is the best milk for my baby?

Breast milk is the best form of nutrition for your baby. It is fresh, hygienic and ideally suited to meet all his requirements. It protects the baby from getting infections and helps in improving your bonding with the baby. Every mother can produce enough milk to meet the requirements of her baby till he is 6 months of age. Even if a woman has twins, her milk flow often increases enough to meet the requirement of both the babies.

Q. How often should I feed my baby?

On demand feeding is a good way to feed a baby. As a rough guide, most babies would require to be fed every 3 hours or so. If they are alert and awake for a while, they may demand a feed earlier; if they sleep soundly, the interval may even extend to 4-5 hours. A baby must receive at least 8 feeds in 24 hours, including 1-2 feeds at night. During the first 6 months of life, a baby does not need anything apart from breast milk, not even water.

Q. What is the correct way of breast feeding?

The mother should sit up comfortably and hold the baby in her lap. The baby’s body should be supported on the mother’s arm, turned towards the mother, and held close to her body (fig. 1). The baby should be fed on each breast for about 10-15 minutes each, shifting to the other breast once one breast is completely empty. Some times a baby may be satisfied by feeding at one breast only. In that case, the alternate breast should be offered first during the next feed.

During first 4-6 weeks babies need to be fed round the clock. After that, gradually the night feeds can be reduced to a late night feed and an early morning one.

Q. How do I know my baby is receiving adequate milk?

A healthy baby regulates his own milk intake and there is no need to monitor the amount of milk taken by him. A baby is receiving adequate feeds if he sleeps well after a feed for about 2 hours and passses urine atleast 6 times a day. A well fed baby would gain weight at the rate of 125 g or more per week after 1^st week of life.

Q. How to take care of the umbilical cord?

The umbilical cord should be kept dry without applying anything on it. It usually separates by the fifth to the ninth day after birth. It tends to separate early if kept dry.

Q. Can I apply Kajal to the eyes of my baby?

 Do not apply anything to the eyes of a baby as it can cause infection.

Q. My newborn baby sleep most of the time, is it normal?

Because the nervous system of the newborn baby is still maturing, he/she sleep for long hours. By 4-6 weeks of age many infants are on a cycle of waking for 4 hours and sleeping for 4 hours.

Lethargy and lack of interest in feeds in a baby, who was alert and active previously, may be a sign of a serious medical condition.

Q. Who is a premature or low birth weight baby?

Premature babies are those born before completing thirty seven weeks of gestation. A low birth weight baby has a birth weight <2.5 kg. Many premature babies also have a low birth weight. Sometimes, babies born at full term may also have a low weight. Premature babies and low birth weight babies are more vulnerable than full-term babies and need to be given special care. 

Q. What kind of clothes are suitable for a baby?

A baby should be dressed in soft cotton clothes with minimum frills, buttons or ornamental add-ons which can scratch the tender skin of the newborn infant. The nappies should be made of thick, soft and absorbent material and changed promptly when soiled to avoid development of nappy rash. Use of plastic nappy should be avoided.

During winter babies are prone to get hypothermia or cold. Premature or low birth weight babies are at a higher risk of developing hypothermia. This is a dangerous condition, which could be prevented by proper and adequate clothing and keeping the baby warm. It is important to keep the head and feet covered since a lot of heat can be lost through these areas.

Q. What is the normal stool pattern of babies?

Breast-fed babies pass frequent semi-loose yellow sticky stools. The frequency is very variable. Many babies pass up to 7-8 stools per day, usually soon after feeding. This is normal and should not be confused with diarrhoea. Other babies may pass stools only once every three days. This is also normal.

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(Website last updated on 21st July, 2008)