A child is the best gift God has ever given us. From the moment this amazing life is born, our world becomes a much wider and richer place. But a newborn is also the most delicate and needy period of life, which makes many moms and dads nervous and anxious and overwhelmed, so let’s learn how to care for our newborn baby. What is the best milk for newborns? Breast milk is the best gift a mother can give her child, and breastfeeding is the best way to feed both the child and the mother. The World Health Organization, UNICEF, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Chinese Nutrition Society have made clear recommendations: start breastfeeding as early as possible after delivery, try to insist that the first food for newborns is breast milk, insist on exclusive breastfeeding within 6 months of birth, and continue breastfeeding with appropriate complementary foods after 6 months until 2 years of age or longer. Therefore, if the mother does not have any special disease or doctor’s advice that she cannot breastfeed, then try to be a cow mother and insist on breastfeeding (except for those who have medical indications that they cannot breastfeed). Of course, you can choose formula to supplement your breast milk. How to breastfeed correctly and effectively? 4 points of correct breastfeeding posture: 1. baby’s head and body in a straight line; 2. baby facing the breast, chin and nose close to the breast; 3. hold baby’s whole body close to yourself, not just turn your head over; 4. baby’s head and neck are supported, holding the hip/back. ( Breastfeeding positions: rugby ball, crossover, cradle, side lying ) 6 key points of correct breastfeeding: 1. Open mouth wide, upper and lower lip angle about 120 degrees; 2. Lower lip turned outward, upper lip gently turned outward; 3. Tongue in a spoon shape around the areola (not just the nipple); 4. Cheeks puffed up when sucking; 5. Deep slow and strong sucking; 6. Swallowing seen or heard. How often should I feed? Mothers and fathers should observe and learn more about the signals that their babies want to eat, and try to decide when to feed their children through hunger signals rather than by clockwork timing. The average frequency is about 8-12 times a day, and in some cases even more than that. The interval between feedings during the newborn period should not exceed 4 hours, and if your baby has not been fed for 4 hours you need to wake him/her up to feed. Do newborns need to be fed? No, you do not need to feed water. Whether it is breast milk or formula, the main ingredient is water and if there is enough milk to meet your baby’s need for water. Exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for six months, with the word “exclusive” added specifically to mean that no other food or drink, including water, needs to be added besides breast milk. So don’t give water to a small baby who has not yet added complementary foods without a doctor’s recommendation. What are the signs of hunger in newborns? How do I know if I’ve had enough? Mother’s breasts: the mother’s breasts are swollen and full before feeding, and become soft after feeding; baby’s performance: the baby gurgles and gulps when feeding, and shows great satisfaction within a few hours after feeding, and does not want to feed again after half an hour; enough milk: most newborns eat less milk in the first few days after birth, and after a week or so, the milk volume can be about 60-90ml per meal, and can reach about 120ml by the full moon. The amount of urine: after 4-5 days of life, the baby will urinate more than 6-8 times a day; good weight gain: the baby will have weight loss after birth, but generally will stop losing weight 5 days after birth, the weight loss is generally no more than 7-9%, the birth weight will be restored within 1-2 weeks after birth, and then the weight will increase steadily. The average weight gain of a full-term healthy newborn is about 20g-30g per day.