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Before Birth

Before birth a mother needs to eat two meat servings a day to provide enough iron for the baby. A lack of iron can cause memory and learning problems later on. Other iron-rich foods include: tuna fish, egg yolks, spinach, kelp, brewers yeast, peas and kidney beans.

Its also vital to eat a well balanced diet containing cereals, fruit and vegetables. Protein is needed in the form of milk, eggs, meat and fish.

Use iodised salt as a lack of iodine can cause problems with brain development.

Women preparing for, and during pregnancy should take a folic acid supplement.

It is very important to avoid all alcohol and drugs.  Even a small amount consumed at a critical stage of fetal development can impair development.  Most fetal development takes place with the first 12 weeks, so it is even more important in these early weeks.

Do not smoke at all as nicotine reduces blood flow to the placenta and reduces the uptake of nutrients.

Optimum Infant Nutition After Baby is Born

Breast milk contains all the nutrients a baby needs to grow and develop, as well as beneficial living cells for a healthy start to life. If at all possible, breastfeed your baby for as long as possible.

Babies need nothing but breastmilk for their first 6 months (no juice, no water, no solids) and in fact can be fed heathily on an exclusive diet of breastmilk for much longer - even up to year!  There is absolutely no need to be in any hurry to start solids; in fact to do so can be detrimental to your babies long-term health in the form of an increased risk of allergies.

Close contact between mother and baby is extremely important. Close contact results in the release of a hormone (oxytocin) which allows the calories in the milk to be absorbed.  Oxytocin is the "love" or bonding hormone.  It helps mothers & babies fall in love with each other.  Babies love to be held, and touch builds their brains.

As the 'second best' option, baby formula is developed to provide a whole food for your baby in the first few months. Follow the instructions exactly, and make sure you do not dilute the formula.

When bottle feeding, hold the baby as in breastfeeding - babies need cuddles just as much as they need food.

When moving the baby onto solids, use iron enriched cereal, and introduce soft meat at about 9 months to a year. Iron deficiency is fairly common in children and red meat is the best source of iron.