Your new food critic

So, how will you feed your newborn? It’s a common and important question for any parent.

By now you've noticed that everything seems to make its way into your little one’s mouth. Once he’s able grasp small objects, eating those little goodies is exactly what he'll try to do. His tiny teeth are ready to be put to good use. Although he's only using them for cutting, not really chewing, that doesn't mean your child is ready for just any food you offer. Even though it's now finger food time in his life, you still need to be careful about what foods he grabs with those little fingers.

Formula. It’s full of nutrition—but how you prep and store it can serve up some questions, too.

There is growing evidence that factors in the environment, including baby's first foods and the time of their introduction, can play a critical role when a child develops allergies.

Your baby is now used to eating solids and may be grabbing at the spoon or picking up food by herself. This means she is ready for more self-feeding, a whole new messy adventure! Continue to offer new foods and textures, especially a wide variety of iron-rich foods, and fruits and vegetables and remember to be patient; you may need to offer foods as many as 10 times before she accepts them.

Your baby’s growing (so fast!) and his digestive system is developing, too.

Choosing a feeding method can weigh on any parent’s mind—so here’s what you can consider when it comes to meeting your baby’s nutrition needs.

Breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months, and sustained for up to two years or longer with appropriate complementary feeding is important for the nutrition, immunologic protection, growth, and development of infants and toddlers and has many benefits for you as well.

Experts agree breast milk is best for babies. Not only is it the most nutritionally complete food your newborn will ever have, but it also benefits you and your baby in other ways, some that will last a lifetime.