Q&A with Melanie, Nutritionist and Lactation Consultant

This week, our friend Melanie took over our Instagram to talk about all things baby nutrition!  Melanie Venuti is a Nutritionist, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and owner of MV Breastfeeding and Parental Support.  Along with teaching New Moms support groups, and offering private practice support, she has been working with families in various aspects of infant feeding and pediatric nutrition for almost a decade. As a Mom of 2 boys, Melanie understand the challenges that come along with the early weeks of breastfeeding, pumping to return to work, picky eating in toddlerhood and planning healthy meals for the family! 
 
You can check out the whole take over in the video above, but we wanted to share with you a few key morsels of magic Melanie shared with us!
 
Breast/bottle feeding:

• Parents often worry about low milk supply but often that is not the case.  The best way to find out if this is truly an issue for you is to check in with an IBCLC.  One way to signal to the body to produce more milk is to add some pumping sessions throughout your day.
• Bottles can be introduced anywhere between 3 and 5 weeks for familiarity.
• Choose a slow flow nipple to maintain the relationship between breast and bottle.

 
Introducing Solids:

• Your baby may be ready any time between 4-6 months.  It is important that they can hold up their own head and neck but they do not need to be sitting completely independently.
• Once you begin introducing solids, your baby may decrease the amount of milk or formula they require as more nutrition is now coming from solid foods.
• Sources of protein for baby include: ground or shredded soft meats, dairy products such as plain Greek yogurt, legumes, and even peanut butter which is now considered a safe food to introduce!