Help Me Be Healthy – Birth to 6 Months

Help me be healthy Birth to 6 months

Feed me with food and love

  • I grow best with your love. Hold me and cuddle me.
  • I feel your love when you smile and talk to me.
  • Listen to me when I “talk” to you with my face and body.
  • Feed me breast milk. It is the only food I need for the first 6 months.
  • If I am not breastfed, feed me baby formula.
  • Wait until my first birthday before you give me cow’s milk.

How do you know I eat enough?

I wet 6 or more diapers a day and the doctor says I am gaining weight and growing well. Please do not put me on a feeding schedule. I will let you know when I am hungry or full.

Ways I say I am hungry: I may move a lot or turn my head and open my mouth. I may suck on my hand or fuss. Please feed me before I cry. I eat best when I am calm.

Ways I say I am full: I stop sucking and spit out the nipple. I may look relaxed or sleepy. Once I get full, I might frown, fuss, and kick to let you know I’m done. Please don’t keep trying to feed me.

I need to eat often because I can’t eat very much at one time

Birth to 4 months

I might eat every 2 to 3 hours, about 8 to 12 times in 24 hours. My tummy can only hold about 2 to 3 ounces at a time.

4 to 6 months

I might eat every 3 to 4 hours, about 6 to 8 times in 24 hours. My tummy can hold about 4 to 6 ounces at a time.

I will grow faster some days. I will need to eat more at these times.

My growth spurts may come at 7 to 10 days, 2 to 3 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months old.

Give me safe food

I can get sick from germs and the wrong food. I could throw up and get diarrhea.

  • Wash your hands before you feed me.
  • Mix up formula the way the can says or how the doctor tells you.

Keep breast milk up to 72 hours (3 days) in the refrigerator.

Keep concentrate formula up to 48 hours (2 days) in the refrigerator.

Keep formula made from powder up to 24 hours (1 day) in the refrigerator.

  • Never heat a bottle of breast milk or formula in a microwave oven. It could burn my mouth.
  • If you want to warm my milk put it in a small pan of warm water.
  • Throw out breast milk or formula kept out more than 1 hour 
or left in the bottle after I eat.
  • Do not feed me plain water, sugar water, or honey.

When can I try new food?

For now, I grow best on breast milk or formula.  Please do not feed me other foods until I turn 6 moths old.  Then, ask my doctor if I am ready.  Please talk to WIC if you have questions about feeding me.

I need your touch

Hold me when you feed me.  I feel safe in your arms. Look at my face and into my eyes. Smile and talk to me. I will learn to smile and coo.  I might stop in the middle of eating to rest and look at you.

Spit-Up, Gas, and Dirty Diapers

I might spit up if you try to feed me when I am full or if you bounce me after I eat.

I swallow air when I eat. Too much air makes me spit up or have gas. Burping helps me get the air out. Wait for me to stop eating before you burp me. Hold me so my tummy touches your chest or lap. Gently pat or rub my back.

I might grunt and turn red to move my bowels. I might have 1 to 3 bowel movements a day or none for a day or 2. This is not constipation.  Constipation is a hard, dry stool that hurts to pass and makes me cry.

Let’s play

  • Put me on my back on a blanket on the floor. Watch how I stretch and kick my legs and arms.
  • Put me on my tummy. I will learn to push myself up with my arms and roll over.
  • Let’s play peek-a-boo and pat-a-cake.

Help me sleep safe

Follow the A, B, C’s of safe sleep:

A – Alone

B – on my Back

C – in a Crib

Put me in my crib, alone, on my back to sleep. Use a firm mattress. Do not put pillows, quilts, bumper pads, or toys in my crib.

Look what I can do!

I am ready to learn about you, about me, and the world I live in. I learn best when I feel happy, loved, and safe.

Birth to 3 months

The world is new to me. It can be scary. Crying is my way to say I need you. When you come to me, I calm down. I learn that you care.

I must learn what day and night are. At first, I sleep 2 to 3 hours, wake up, eat, and go back to sleep again. It might take 3 or 4 months to learn to sleep through the night.

I know your voice. I like to watch you. Tell me what you are doing. Hearing your words helps me learn to talk.

4 to 6 months

I can sleep longer at night. I am growing strong and active.

I can hold my head up. I use my hands to pick things up and put them in my mouth. Watch me so I don’t choke.

I know my name when you say it. I babble “ba-ba-ba!” I can laugh.

Keep me safe and healthy

  • I need checkups and shots. Take me to the doctor a few days after birth and before 1 month, then when I am 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months old.
  • If I am breastfed, ask the doctor about vitamin D drops.
  • Wipe my gums with a clean, wet, soft cloth after you feed me.
  • Keep me away from tobacco smoke. It hurts my lungs.
  • Never leave me alone at bath time or while changing me.
  • Buckle me into an infant car seat in the car. Learn how to install the seat correctly, in the car’s back seat, facing backwards.

WIC Utah Women, Infants & Children

Utah WIC Program 1-877-WIC-KIDS

or 1-877-942-5437

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Current and design adapted from Maryland WIC Program