It's long been known by doctors and researcher that a breast feeding baby is protected against infections more than one who is fed formulas or other baby feeding products. Many doctors believe that this happens because breast feeding helps to prime the baby's immune system by passing on to him the mother's antibodies. This preps their bodies to resist germs not only now, but in the future as well. A breast feeding baby will get a jump start on her health prospects.

Even the immune systems of babies of moms who switch back and forth between breast feeding and bottle feeding have improved resistance against infections. And moms who do this shouldn't be too concerned about their bodies producing an over-abundance of milk. Studies show that their body's milk production glands will adjust automatically to the circumstances and begin to produce less milk. But for moms who want the healthiest babies, keep in mind that it's the non breast feeding baby, i.e., those who are nurtured on 100% formula that have the least resistance to germs, allergies, and illnesses.

In certain cases a breast feeding baby will reject her mother's breast. This can happen for a number of reasons. The most common reason is that the baby has noticed a difference in the taste of your milk. This may occur because her mom is using lotion or cream on her breast. Or she may have recently changed her diet, causing a change in the taste of her milk. This is not a cause of alarm. Simply continue to let the baby feed and she will eventually adjust to the taste.

When a baby feeds from a breast, there's a certain point in the process where the chemistry of the milk from  that breast changes. The milk becomes more fatty and nutrient dense. This is why, once a mother begins to breast feed the baby, she shouldn't change breast in the middle of the feeding. Doing so will cause the baby to drink milk that is less nutritious (more watery) because it hasn't yet been primed to produce the full-bodied and fatty milk.

If the baby seems to want to feed a lot more frequently in normal, it may be traced back to her not getting enough nutrients due to the breast switching. A much better method is to alternate the breast that the baby feeds from during each feeding.

Many women who breastfeed worry about their breast becoming engorged or lop-sided. Enlargement will happen naturally as the mom's body begins to produce milk when the baby is born. The best ways to prevent or lessen engorgement is to alternate the breast that the baby feeds on at each feeding. The second way to avoid engorged breast is to either nurse often or use a pump to "express" the milk from the breast. It won't take long until the breasts "adjust".

Also, if this is not a mom's first pregnancy, she has less to worry about as her breast will most likely not expand much. If this is a mom's first baby, however, her breasts will expand more than they will at subsequent pregnancies.

Feeding babies should not be that complicate. Unfortunately, some women seem to agonize over the "right" times to breast feed, the length of time to breast feed, and so on. But women have been doing this for centuries with no help from text books, so even if it's not perfectly done, there's no reason to agonize over. Keep at it and eventually, mom and baby will work it out all on their own.

When is the best time to feed a baby? Before she is starving. Try not to wait until the child is craving to eat. Feed her when she begins to show signs of being hunger. Modern moms who work will, no doubt, find this difficult if not impossible to do. All the more reasons why, if possible, a mom should take as much time off from work in the beginning as she can in order to get her child off to the best start possible.