Feeding your baby

Feeding a baby means more than providing food that is nutritious. Your touch, the sound of your voice and the affectionate look in your eyes will give your baby emotional nourishment.

Babies cannot thrive on food alone. They need your loving attention to grow  and develop.

It is a good idea to decide how you are going to feed your baby before baby is born. If you plan to breastfeed, you can always introduce a bottle for some of the feedings once your milk supply is well established.

This should happen in four to six weeks. However, if you bottle feed first, it will be difficult, or sometimes impossible, to switch to breastfeeding.

At Salem Hospital we recommend breastfeeding as the most nutritious food for a baby, however, we realize for some women this may not be possible. We will support your decision for whatever method you choose.