Breast-feeding is feeding a baby breast milk directly from the
breast or from a bottle after expressing the milk with a pump. Breast milk
provides the best nutrition for a baby.
All major professional
medical groups that focus on children, such as the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP), recommend breast-feeding for at least the first year of a
baby's life. This recommendation includes feeding a baby only breast milk for
the first 6 months. Other foods, such as cereal, are then gradually introduced
while the baby continues to breast-feed.