 Provides a baby with much more than physical nourishment  Time for enjoying close contact with other people

 Unpredictable at first  Need to each as much as they want and as often as they want  In the first few weeks, baby feed six to eight times in 24 hours  By the second and third month regular feeding patterns emerge (every 3 to 4 hours)  At 12 lbs, a baby can normally sleep through the night  At the end of the first year, a baby eats about 3 meals a day plus snacks

 When feeding from a bottle:  Hold the baby in a semi-upright position  Support the baby’s neck and head (head should be above the stomach)  Hold bottle at an angle and make sure the nipple is full of milk (if not, the baby will take in too much air)

 Take time to burp the baby twice—once during feeding and once when feeding is over  It is not necessary to give a baby a warm bottle  Never leave a bottle propped up so that a baby can drink from it without your help  The formula gushes from propped bottles and can cause digestive problems and ear infections

 Around the age of 6 mts… but there is no rush  First solid food is usually cereal  Strained foods—solids processed to make them smooth and runny (baby foods)  Add only one new food every 4 th of 5 th day  This can help you see if a certain food causes a skin rash or digestive trouble

 Hold the baby comfortably in a fairly upright position  Heat solid foods to lukewarm if baby is used to warm foods  Be prepared for messy feedings  Make the baby’s cereal very runny—add into milk they are used to  Take out small portions from a baby food jar  If bacteria gets into jar it will grow rapidly

 Around the 1 st birthday  Process of changing from drinking from the bottle or breast to drinking from a cup  Important sign of increasing independence  Don’t force on a baby! Wait until the baby accepts weaning naturally!  Playing while sucking, pushing nipple away, preferring to eat with a spoon

 When they can sit-up steadily, around age of 8-10 months  Start to eat with fingers and reach for spoon and open mouth when the spoon is coming then they are ready to begin feeding himself or herself  Allow plenty of time for each meal  Encourage the baby’s efforts and enjoy in the baby’s delight