Healthy nutrition practices begin before birth and can affect a child’s long-term growth and development. During pregnancy, families begin making decisions that will shape how they feed and nurture their baby. Breastmilk and iron-fortified infant formulas meet infants’ nutritional needs. Health care and nutrition professionals recommend breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and continued breastfeeding during the first year and longer if desired. Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial.
Breastfeeding offers many benefits that support the lifelong health and well-being of both mother and child. Breastmilk supports an infant’s healthy brain development; strengthens their immune system; and reduces the risk of asthma, obesity, diabetes, ear infections, Sudden Unexpected Infant Death, and gastrointestinal problems. Breastfeeding can help a mother recover from childbirth. It also can lower the mother’s risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding also supports emotional and mental well-being by promoting closeness and bonding through skin-to-skin contact, which can help mothers feel more confident and connected to their baby during the early stages of parenting.
Head Start programs can support an expectant family by providing information, encouragement, and respectful care to help families decide the best way to feed their baby. Engaging families in conversations about infant feeding during pregnancy can help families feel more prepared to initiate and sustain breastfeeding. Involving fathers in these conversations supports breastfeeding mothers and the well-being of the whole family.
Encourage families who cannot breastfeed or who choose to feed their baby infant formula to talk to a health care provider about what formula to use. Some babies have sensitivities and need special formulas. Cow’s milk, sweetened condensed milk, and plant-based milk (e.g., almond, soy, or cashew) are not recommended for infants. They do not meet the nutritional needs of infants. For guidance on feeding practices after the baby is born, see the Infants and Toddlers Nutrition Considerations section in the Nutrition and Physical Activity chapter.
When families are ready to choose a Head Start program option for their child, help mothers interested in center-based or family child care develop a plan for expressing and storing their milk. Head Start programs can support breastfeeding by creating a comfortable place for mothers to breastfeed or pump and by connecting them to local resources. Refer to the Community Partnerships Supporting Infants and Toddlers in the Community Health and Mental Health Partnerships chapter for examples of connections that strengthen and support infant feeding.
Tips and Strategies for Supporting Infant Feeding
- Talk with expectant families about how they would like to feed their infant and offer resources to support their decision.
- Train staff who interact with breastfeeding mothers in culturally responsive, evidence-based practices so that staff members have the knowledge and competencies to support them.
- Share tips for how fathers, family members, and friends can support breastfeeding.
- Create a safe, welcoming space in programs for breastfeeding mothers to feed their babies.
- Develop partnerships with WIC programs and lactation consultants. Public health programs, La Leche League International, and local hospitals may have other services.
