How you’ll feed your baby

• Reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• Lowers risk of Osteoporosis, Diabetes and Cardio Vascular Disease
• It burns calories
• It’s free
• Breast milk is available whenever and wherever your baby needs a feed
• It’s the right temperature
• Breast feeding can build a strong physical and emotional bond between mum and baby
• It can give you a great sense of achievement

• Breast feeding reduces risk of infections, including tummy bugs, diarrhoea, colds and ear infections
• Breast milk is specifically tailored to your baby’s needs
• Breast feeding reduces the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) & childhood leukaemia
• Reduced risk of asthma and eczema
• Offers long term health benefits; reducing risk of heart disease, obesity

You can find out more about the benefits of breastfeeding here.

• From 37 weeks you can start to hand express and harvest (collect) colostrum.

• Lots of skin to skin contact.

During skin to skin contact, the hormone oxytocin is released which is known to be essential to milk flow

• Follow your baby’s lead.

Don’t wait for them to cry for a feed; if they are rooting, or licking lips, wriggling or stirring, they are getting ready to feed, so it’s a good time to latch at this point rather than wait until your baby is crying

• Let your baby determine their schedule.

Babies recognise their feeding cues and only have small stomachs. Breast feeding works on supply and demand; the more you feed or pump, the more milk your body will produce. The less you feed, the less milk your body produces.

• Remember breast feeding is a learnt skill for both you and your baby.

Guide your baby onto the breast in a position where it is comfortable for you and your baby to maintain throughout the feed. (link to effective attachment article)

• Seek support with breast feeding.

Seek support from the midwives whilst you’re in hospital and your midwife, health visitor and local support groups when at home.

• Keep hydrated.

Always have a drink with you when feeding as this helps with milk production.

• Rest when baby rests.

It’s so important to rest at every opportunity. You will be feeding frequently throughout the night and day so taking naps when you can is essential.

• Eat regularly.

Breast feeding burns calories and you may often be hungry when you’re breast feeding.

For more information about feeding and where to find support, why not book onto an infant feeding session run by our peer supporters.

Formula milk is also offered as an alternative to breast milk. It is important to understand that if using formula milk, babies less than one year only require first milk.

All first baby milks have to meet a basic food standard essential for baby milk; anything else added to formula and advertised to be beneficial is not research based or essential.  For more information about formulas, see First Steps Nutrition. If you are planning to formula feed, hospitals require you to take your own formula into hospital at the time of delivery.

Whether breast or bottle feeding, it’s recommended that you follow your baby’s feeding cues and feed them responsively.

When offering a bottle, paced feeding is recommended. Paced feeding allows your baby to be in control and regulate their feed, therefore avoiding over feeding.

To begin a paced feed:

• Hold the baby in a more upright position close, and skin to skin if possible, to promote bonding
• Hold the bottle horizontally, filling the teat with milk
• Place the teat under your baby’s nose on their top lip and allow your baby to open their mouth and reach for it
• If your baby is drinking too fast, tilt the bottle down or remove bottle to allow your baby to rest. Never force your baby to finish the bottle
• It’s recommended that you either change sides half way through a feed or with each feed as this is beneficial for hand eye coordination