Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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Developmental timeline

Feeding your baby: considering breastfeeding

Please take a look at this video on breastfeeding from Unicef:

What if I’m not planning to breastfeed?

Things to consider

  • Have you read the NHS guidance on sterilising?
  • Do you understand how to make up formula?
  • Do you understand paced feeding and the benefits of this?
  • Do you understand different formula milks and recognise you should only ever give your baby first stage milk in the first year, unless recommended by a medical practitioner?
  • Do you understand feeding cues?

Unicef have produced this useful guide on Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding

Further help and support

Please see our infant feeding support page for more information on the support available to you.

We have a duty health visitor working from our public health nursing hub Monday to Friday 9 – 4.30. Please do contact them if you have any additional questions.

 

Have your say

Help us improve the local information on this website and give us feedback about any contacts you have had with our service by completing the Devon Public Health Nursing feedback form.

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Devon County Council runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called ChatHealth. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health nurse (health visitor/school nurse) within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens. You can also call our Public Health Nursing hubs on the numbers listed below.

If you are concerned about the safety of a child in Devon, contact our Multi-Agency Safeguarding Hub (MASH) on 0345 155 1071 or email mashsecure@devon.gov.uk with as much information as possible.

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This page was last reviewed on 29-04-2022

This page will be next reviewed on 29-04-2025

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