The benefits of breast-feeding infants have been supported time and again by doctors and health agencies.

Babies who are breast-fed gain a unique immunity from many diseases, including anemia, intestinal infections, colds, earaches and asthma. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that newborns be exculsively breast-fed for the first six months of life, and should continue for at least the first year of the baby's life.

Like anything new, breast-feeding takes some practice. For some mothers and babies, breast-feeding goes smoothly from the start. For others, it takes a little time and several attempts to get the process going effectively.

However, a small minority of infants can receive allergies from breast milk, especially if allergies are prevalent in the mother's family history. To reduce this risk, moms can cut out suspected allergens -- like peanuts, milk, eggs and shellfish -- but that's not a guaranteed solution if your infant is predisposed to the allergy.

If you breast-feed, you are the source of all of your baby's nutrition -- so what you eat is important.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests several health tips for moms who breast-feed:

• Avoid alcohol. It can pass into your milk and your baby. If you choose to drink alcohol, drink it just after you nurse rather than just before.
• Don't smoke. Secondhand smoke is dangerous to all children, but especially to newborns. It increases the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
• Limit your caffeine intake. Caffeine tends to build up in babies' systems because their bodies cannot get rid of it very easily. Too much caffeine can cause problems such as poor sleeping, nervousness, irritability and poor feeding. Try using decaffeinated coffee and tea and avoid colas and other carbonated drinks that have added caffeine.
• Adjust your diet according to your baby's reactions. If your baby gets fussy and has short-term symptoms that resemble colic, try eliminating spicy or "gassy" foods from your diet.
• Drink lots of water. This will keep both you and your baby well-hydrated. A good rule of thumb is to drink at least one glass of water every nursing session.
• Watch for allergic reactions. In rare cases, your breastfed infant may be allergic to the cow's milk in your diet. Symptoms can appear anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours after she breastfeeds and may include: diarrhea, rash, fussiness, and gas. To tell whether your baby is allergic, you need to cut out all dairy products from your diet for 2 weeks. Then, one by one, return each dairy product to your diet to see whether your baby has a reaction after nursing.
• Be wary of medication. Most medications are safe to take during breastfeeding, but there are a few that can be dangerous for the baby. To be sure, let your doctor and your baby's pediatrician know that you are breastfeeding. Get approval for all medications, including non-prescription drugs. Also, take the medication just after you nurse rather than just before.
• Double-check your birth control. Some birth-control pills also might affect your milk production, but effects vary from woman to woman and with the type of pill. Discuss this with your doctor.
• Do not diet. It is generally recommended that a nursing mother not diet in the first several months of nursing. Dieting may interfere with the mother's milk supply or nutrition -- and, in turn, the baby's nutrition. There's also a concern that many environmental toxins are stored in fat layers, and dieting may release these too suddenly into the breast milk.

Read more about breast-feeding from the American Academy of Pediatrics.