The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast milk as the best source of nutrition for all babies in their first year of life. Some of the suggested breastfeeding practices include:

• Breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, best within the first hour of life.
• Continuous "rooming in" for the mother and newborn after birth to practice breastfeeding.
• Breastfeeding on demand when you see signs of hunger such as:
  

  1. Increased activity
  2. Baby sticking out his tongue
  3. When held by the mom, the infant turns toward the breast and shakes his head
  4. Crying as a late sign of hunger
• No formula or water is necessary unless medically needed.
• When baby is not able to feed at the breast, expressed breast milk should be used to feed the baby.
• Breastfeeding only for the first 6 months, then adding iron-enriched solid foods.

If you decide to work after baby arrives and want to continue breastfeeding, our class, Returning to Work Breastfeeding, will help you get ready. More than 50 percent of breastfeeding mothers return to work outside the home and continue to breastfeed. Whether you return to work six weeks after baby is born or several months, you will want to start planning your own strategy of how to handle work and breastfeeding before your first day back on the job.

To learn more about breastfeeding, register for the Breastfeeding Basics preparation class offered by Methodist Healthcare.

Discuss your decision to breastfeed with your doctor, especially if your doctor has prescribed medication for you or if you have had breast surgery.

For information on having your baby at Methodist and services available, please visit our Maternity Services section.