A Brief Guide to Breastfeeding & Infant Nutrition

I would like to introduce y'all to my very first guest blogger, Katie Moore. She has a super cute blog, Moore from Katie. Something that she is very passionate about & likes to blog about is healthy living. 

As a mommy-to-be, I feel like I am not completely prepared for all that is about to come... 

Read Katie's post about infant nutrition (below)--it may answer some of your questions like it did mine :)

A Brief Guide to Breastfeeding & Infant Nutrition

Introducing your newborn baby to the world is an exciting and joyful time. Of course, the first few weeks can also be nerve wracking. Your infant will require certain nutritional needs; excellent nutrition is imperative for the overall health of your infant.

Why Infant Nutrition is Important

During the first year of an infant's life, he will experience high growth rates. After the first five months, an infant's weight will double. After the first year of your infant's life, his weight will triple. Due to these high growth rates, correct nutrition is essential. If your baby is not receiving the best nutrition, he faces the risk of having a slower growth rate than normal.

Where Does the Right Nutrition Come From?

In order to provide your infant with the correct nutrition, you have to first know where it comes from. For infants, most essentials to their diet can be found through carbohydrates, fat and protein. Of these three, protein is one of the most important. In the first year of his life, your baby will use half of the protein he eats for growth. In addition, your infant will use the fat he ingests to supply important fatty acids. Finally, the carbohydrates your infant takes in will provide energy.

The Best Diet Plans

When it comes to providing your infant with the best diet plan possible, most experts agree that breastfeeding has shown to be essential to providing the right nutrition for infants. Although many experts agree that formulas can provide similar nutrients for infants, breastfeeding milk has ingredients that can't be found in formulas. For example, infants take in antibodies through breastfeeding milk. Antibodies decrease the risk of infections in infants, making them a must have. Furthermore, further studies have shown that infants who are breastfed are less susceptible to infections and allergies during the first 18 months of their lives.

When you are preparing for delivery and speaking to doctors and nurses about post-delivery options like circumcision and cord blood banking, consider speaking to a lactation specialist about breastfeeding if you’re not sure if you’d like to breastfeed or formula feed. A lactation specialist can answer a lot of your questions and to help you and your baby when he’s born.

Most experts recommend that an infant be breastfed at least until the first year. If breastfeeding is discontinued after the first year, it's recommended that a formula fortified with iron take the place of breastfeeding.

When to Feed Solid Foods

Most infants are ready to start eating solids between the ages of four and six months.
When an infant starts eating solid foods, he should eat them by spoon and not by bottle. As it's been shown not to cause allergies, baby rice cereal is recommended for infants just starting to eat solid foods.


Mothers can ensure that their infant receives the right nutrition through attention to detail and consistency. Providing your infant with the right nutrition doesn't have to be hard; as long as you know what your infant needs, you'll be on the right track.


“Katie Moore has written and submitted this article. Katie is an active blogger who discusses the topics of, motherhood, children, fitness, health and all other things Mommy. She enjoys writing, blogging, and meeting new people! To connect with Katie contact her via her blog, Moore From Katie or her twitter, @moorekm26.”

Thanks Katie for the wonderful post

If you have any more questions about breastfeeding, I suggest checking out BabyCenter's top do's & dont's article.