Fed Is Best

The Unintended Harms of the "Breast Is Best" Message and How to Find the Right Approach for You and Your Baby

Christie del Castillo-Hegyi, B. Jody Segrave-Daly, Lynnette Hafken

• Publisher: BenBella Books
• Year: 2024
• eBook ISBN:
  9781637744635
• Subtopic: Gynecology, Obstetrics & Midwifery

A revolutionary look at infant nourishment for every family, regardless of whether you feed your baby with breast milk, formula, or both, from the founders of the Fed Is Best Foundation

For babies, like for all living things, being fed is best. But the current stringent focus on exclusive breastfeeding is putting some babies at risk by depriving parents of a full understanding of how to tell when breastfeeding alone doesn’t provide enough—and what to do about it.

Fed Is Best provides a clear-eyed look at the current messaging and latest scientific research around breastfeeding and formula feeding, to help parents make informed choices about how to best feed their baby based on their individual circumstances.

This eye-opening critique and practical, judgment-free guide:

Breaks down the dangers of insufficient feeding in infants—and how to recognize and prevent them

Reveals myths around colostrum, other aspects of breastfeeding, and the expectation that nearly all mothers will produce all the milk their baby needs as long as they follow current guidelines

Provides detailed guidance on how to ensure your baby is getting enough to eat, particularly in those crucial first few days after birth

Destigmatizes supplementation, a practice employed throughout human history to protect infants when their mother’s milk wasn’t enough—and shares strategies that encourage continued breastfeeding

Details what parents need to know about breastfeeding, combination feeding, and pumped milk feeding with sample schedules to help maintain milk supply and help parents get more sleep

Provides inclusive, evidence-based guidance on formula and bottle feeding that has been shown to improve infant health outcomes

Emphasizes the importance of mental health as a key consideration when finding your best infant feeding method

Let Fed Is Best help you find the feeding method that’s right for you and your baby.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Dedication
• Contents
• Important Notes
• Introduction: Christie’s Story and the Birth of Fed Is Best
• The Take-Home Points: For Tired Parents Needing the Bottom Line
• Part 1: The History and Science of Infant Feeding
• Part 2: The Fed is Best Guide to Safe and Optimal Infant Feeding
• Acknowledgments
• Notes
• Photo Credits
• Index
• About the Authors