Fed Is Best

Fed Is Best

Dr. Jennie Berkovich

New and veteran parents face many choices when deciding how best to care for a newborn, and feeding decisions can feel overwhelming even for experienced moms. The truth is there’s no one “right” way to feed a baby. I often tell parents “fed is best,” meaning as long as the baby and parent are nourished and thriving, the right decision has been made.

Mother’s milk is commonly called “liquid gold,” and that description is well-earned. It’s perfectly tailored to a baby’s needs and changes over time. In the first few days, a mother’s body produces colostrum, a thick, yellowish milk rich in antibodies that protect the baby’s digestive tract. Over the following weeks, the milk transitions to mature milk, which contains the right balance of fat, protein, and carbohydrates for growth and energy. Mother’s milk is also full of living cells, enzymes, and immune factors that help protect against illnesses such as ear infections, respiratory infections, and some allergies.

Most medical organizations recommend exclusive nursing for the first six months and then continuing alongside complementary foods for up to two years or beyond, as long as it works for both mother and baby. I never give a hard cutoff for when nursing should stop; this is a personal and hashkafic decision, not a medical one.

For medically fragile or premature babies, mother’s milk can be especially protective. When milk from a baby’s mother is unavailable, pasteurized donor mother’s milk from an accredited milk bank is considered the next best option. Donor milk is screened, processed, and pasteurized to remove harmful bacteria while preserving many of the protective elements of mother’s milk.