With the exception of birth, breastfeeding is the most natural and beneficial act a mother can do for her baby. Breast milk passes antibodies along to your child that can help with development and possibly prevent childhood diseases. Breastfeeding can be very challenging in the beginning and takes a lot of work from mommy. Nevertheless, nothing is more rewarding than having that special bonding time during breastfeeding between mother and baby. Below are some tips to help new mommies create a successful and smooth breastfeeding experience.

Prepare Beforehand

Many accessories and books are available to guide and help you with breastfeeding. Once you've made the decision to breastfeed, it's a good idea to get books to educate yourself on what to expect and how the process works. This way once your baby is born, you have a good amount of knowledge on what could go wrong and make the needed adjustments. Breastfeeding pillows, footstools, chairs, and clothing are also readily accessible to make feeding time go more smoothly.

Create a great support system with friends and family, and join any recreational groups with breast feeding mothers for motivation and assistance.

The Le Leche League gives guidance, classes, and information for free to any expecting or new mother.

From the Start

To ensure your baby takes to being breastfed, it's important you breastfeed her as soon as possible starting at birth. Preferably, the first feeding should take place no longer than an hour after birth. To keep her comfortable with breastfeeding, experts recommend you feed her the entire stay at the hospital as well. Feeding your newborn a bottle may cause her to reject the breast.

Bottle feedings might also delay your milk from completely dropping. This could cause your little one to lose the beneficial colostrum milk mommy's body produces for the first week.

It's a good idea to breastfeed your baby when she wakes up from a nap, rather than before she goes down. Feeding before bedtimes means she might fall asleep and not get a complete feeding. This would increase your baby's feedings per day and throw sleeping and eating times off.

Making the Switch

At the beginning of each feeding make sure to use the opposite breast of the one that was used at the previous feeding.

This ensures each breast has expelled even amounts of milk and prevents nipple soreness. You can keep an ongoing list marking down which side you started with last to keep track of which one to start with next time.

Give your baby enough time on each breast (about 10 to 15 minutes) before switching breasts during a feeding. As your little one feeds, more enriched milk is let down. Changing sides too quickly could keep her from receiving the nutrients she needs from the milk. When it's time to change sides, be sure to burp her before starting the new breast.

This keeps spit-up at a minimum and makes room in her tummy for a complete meal.

Correct Latching and Position

There are a variety of positions so try to find which one suits your baby best. If the hospital or birthing center you use has a lactation specialist, have her come in and monitor a feeding session to give suggestions to ensure your little one is latching on correctly. Incorrect latching can lead to many problems for mommy and baby! Extra air can be sucked in causing stomach discomfort for Baby, not enough milk will be let down, and mom's nipples can become sore and cracked.

Being relaxed during feeding times allows proper letdown and keeps your baby from feeling stressed. Stress and disruptions can also lessen the quality of the milk produced. Once feeding begins, your baby should be taking in drinks at a steady and even pace of about one mouthful per 2 seconds.

Mommy's Diet & Rest

What you eat highly impacts the milk you produce. If you eat spicy foods your baby's tummy could be agitated and if you drink caffeine she could become wired and not sleep properly. A diet based on the four major food groups is recommended to pass healthy nutrients down to your baby through your milk.

If you notice your little one struggling with more gas than usual or upset tummy, it's possible she is sensitive to a certain food you ate.

The amount of food you eat and calorie intake during breastfeeding should go up. La Lache League recommends you add an extra 500 calories daily to your diet. No matter what or when you choose to eat, your baby will get the same amount of nourishment, but mom will suffer greatly. Energy levels will deteriorate and stress levels go up making things hard for everyone.

Try several small meals a day to help your energy levels stay regulated.

Finally, make sure you get plenty of rest! Do not turn down help from friends and family so you can fit in naps whenever possible. Don't worry about the house being perfect and don't feel bad about asking for meals. Most of us have been right where you are and understand when times get tough!

Kim Proulx knows lots about kids, parenting and strengthening the family bond. As a Certified Parent Coach she vows that surrounding your baby in a safe and comfortable environment is the first step in creating a happy family. To set up the ideal baby environment she recommends you visit http://www.babydirect.com for the best in baby furniture and baby accessories.

Nothing is more joyous than a new precious baby in the home. The first six months can fly by so be sure to remember and record every first coo, smile, and roll. Before you know it, your new bundle of joy will be crawling, clapping, and beginning her progression into toddlerhood. We've put together some information on what to look for the first six months of your baby's life and items she will likely need in each pivotal milestone.



1 Month Milestones
The first few weeks will be filled with sleeping, eating, and dirty diapers.



When she is awake make sure to always support her head when picking her up and holding her. Without head support, your new baby can damage neck, spine, or head muscles. As parents, you are getting to know your newborn. This means you will begin to recognize all her different cries. By week four, all the hard work begins to pay off and your baby will become more alert responding to sounds and voices, following movement with her eyes, and putting her hands in her mouth. Her movements will become more fluid and she'll be less likely to be startled as her nervous system develops.



1 Month Items Needed
Hospitals won't release your baby into your custody without an infant car seat installed properly and ready to go. You can get your car seat installed by professionals or have it inspected to ensure it is safe. Before your baby arrives, you'll want to do your research to find the perfect crib and changing station to fit your life-style and nursery. Other items to have ready are a baby monitor, sleeping sacks or blankets, and nursery items like bedding and lighting. These items will help make your baby's first days at home more comfortable and make your first month of parenting easier.



1-3 Month Milestones
With the first month behind you, your delightful baby is growing more and more each day. She will have gained up to 2lbs and will continue at this rate each month. Your baby recognizes your voice now and follows you with her eyes. She most likely is responding to your voice or face with coos and giggles and has good neck control. Discovering her hands and feet, she just might spend the entire afternoon opening and closing her hands, grasping her feet, and reaching for toys.



You can begin "tummy time" by placing her on her stomach to help gain strength in her arms and midsection. This is a great time to encourage the position of crawling and scooting.



1-3 Month Items Needed
This is the important stage of enjoying time away from the house. You can meet friends and introduce them to your new little one! You and your baby will need a stroller and diaper bag packed with baby toys, changing items, and feeding accessories. Your baby will love the fresh air and new scenery with shopping and walks outdoors.



At the end of the day you can use a baby bath with calming scents to wash away the day and prepare her for a good night's sleep.



4-6 Month Milestones
At this landmark, your baby is quickly maturing into her own person with personality and originality. She is communicating with you using different movements and cries, responding to the word 'no', and can distinguish emotions in your voice. All her senses are developed and she loves to use them by purposely reaching out and grabbing objects using sight and touch, and hearing you call her name.



Your baby's coordination is also quickly maturing as she sits up, rolls over, and will possibly even crawl. This is also a fundamental time where she learns that she is a separate entity from you and can go through some detachment issues by crying when you leave the room.



4-6 Month Items Needed
Now that your baby can sit and hold herself up, she is ready for a high chair, jumper, and a baby swing. Always keep an eye on your little one when she is using one of these items and she should always be fully buckled in for her ultimate safety.



Play yards are also a great option to allow her to exercise, roll, and scoot in a safe environment. Now that she is rapidly becoming mobile, be sure to install baby gates at doorways and stairways.



A Look Back
In a short six months, your baby went from a helpless newborn to an independent baby that can sit up and crawl to you! Before you know it, she will be a one year old and taking her first steps. Cherish and enjoy every precious moment and be sure to keep a journal of all her important milestones to share with her when the time is right.

Kim Proulx knows lots about kids, parenting and strengthening the family bond. As a Certified Parent Coach she vows that surrounding your baby in a safe and comfortable environment is the first step in creating a happy family. To set up the ideal baby environment she recommends you visit http://www.babydirect.com for the best in baby furniture and baby accessories.

Make your finger food recipes toddler is a great way to get them to discover new flavors and textures, learn new skills and even keep them entertained when you're out and about! This article offers a variety of Fun Finger-food recipes for your child with healthy food and making meals enjoyable for the whole family. Finger Food Make Yourself Young children need to eat more often than adults. They tend to graze rather than eat much so there is a large amount of food wasted. Processed foods are ones that affect your food budget.

They are also rich in salt and sugar and can promote poor eating habits and dental caries at an early age. If you choose to feed your baby and yourself toddler, you can be sure of the exact ingredients and fresh food always tastes better. Mix flavors, but they might get spat at first, give your child a varied palate and make them less cranky as they age. Fruits and vegetables Fruits and vegetables should be the basis of the diet for your toddler. Strained fruits and vegetables can be given from weaning.

As they grow to make the pieces bigger. Cut the cucumber or celery into strips or cooked vegetables like carrots, asparagus, green beans, sweet potatoes are fun. Cooked and diced yellow, orange and red pepper a little color. Pieces of banana are great as are pieces of (soft) pear, apple, pineapple or peach. Add the natural yoghurt. Meat and protein cooked chicken, fish or meat with vegetables well. Hard boiled egg can be sliced or chopped. Seeds and nuts Dried fruits like raisins, apricots or plums are good, treat her as they contain lots of natural sugar, they generally come in small boxes that are convenient for travel Out.

Sunflower seeds are good for older toddlers. Sandwiches Toddler use easily spreadable fillings such as soft cheese, peanut butter (the natural variety), mashed banana or almond spread. Cut the crusts off and cut into "fingers" to make them easier to hold. Toasted "soldiers" are also very good with dips such as soft cheeses, avocado, Vegemite, hummus or guacamole ... attention is where it becomes dirty! Grated cheese keeps entertain toddlers as they like grasping small pieces.

Rich in calcium, cheese is vital for bone growth. Cut cheese into strips if you mop. Dry cereals such as Cheerios or cornflakes are great, avoid sugary cereals though. Cooked pasta shells or macaroni are an interesting texture for toddlers and a good source of complex carbohydrates. Create a homemade Bolognese sauce for extra flavor. Drink To add to the drink's basic tap water. Why not create fruit smoothies or drinks fruit juices. To weaken for young children as they are strong in taste.

Choking hazard always supervise your child when they eat. They will learn to chew food to make sure everything is soft and cut into small pieces. Manufacture of food preparation fun as the child grows (or have an older brother), why not involve them in preparing your finger toddlers recipes? It will teach them about nutrition and let them be creative too. Another great idea is to make lots of healthy foods, a spoon in toddlers small jars and freeze meals. I hope you find my suggestions useful, be creative and try everything.

They may not like something at first, but persevere, especially with fruits and vegetables.

Sarah Howells is a mother of three and runs a successful child-minding business whilst still finding time to teach about nutrition and parenting. Check out her recommendations for baby and toddler recipe books and fun online toddler games to play with your children.