Feeding your Baby
Research shows that breast milk is the best food for babies.
Breastfeeding protects babies from serious illnesses such as gastroenteritis, allergies, and infections of the lung, ears or urinary tract. Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop ovarian cancer and breast cancer.
Whilst bottle fed babies may go longer between feeds, they are more at risk of serious illness. Bottle feeding is also more expensive than breastfeeding, and involves more work (mixing formula and sterilising bottles). It is possible to make mistakes making up formula and your baby is more likely to become overweight.
As it is very difficult to change to breastfeeding once you have begun to bottle feed, it is better to begin breastfeeding from birth. For maximum protection from most infections, it is best to give your baby nothing but breastmilk for at least 6 months.
If you want to mix breastfeeding and bottle feeding, it is better to wait at least six weeks. This gives your body time to sort out your milk supply. It is thought that babies who are mixed fed will continue to get some benefits from breastfeeding, so long as it is continued for at least 3 or 4 months.
Premature babies are at particular risk of serious illness and should be fed only breast milk.
Because of the overwhelming benefits of breastfeeding, women should be encouraged to breastfeed. However, women need to be supported whatever feeding choices they make.
Practical help with breastfeeding is available from:
[This research summary includes information from the following leaflet produced by MIDIRS:
Informed Choice for Women No.7 - Feeding your baby - breast or bottle?
For details on how to purchase the Informed Choice leaflets go to the Informed Choice website.. For copies of the leaflet phone MIDIRS on 0800 581009]
For more detailed research evidence, click here
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