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Feeding your baby
Whether you're breastfeeding, bottle feeding or doing a mixture of both – this next section provides lots of information and resources to support you on your feeding journey.
- For the first 6 months of life, breast and/or formula milk will provide your baby with all the energy and nutrients they need to grow well.
- As you start to introduce solid foods alongside your baby’s milk feeds, when they are around 6 months old, their milk will continue to provide them with their main source of nutrition until they turn 12 months old.
- However, you choose to feed your baby, looking for and responding to your baby’s hunger cues, rather than feeding at set times, will help your baby feel listened to, satisfied, safe and secure.
- When feeling safe and secure, baby produces the love hormone ‘oxytocin’. This reduces stress hormones, helps build your bond and your baby’s brain.
- By responding to your baby’s fullness cues by stopping when they have had enough, will protect your baby’s ability to listen to their own body. This will help them develop a positive relationship with food later in life.
Breastfeeding
Breastfeeding can provide your baby with the best possible start in life and includes many benefits for both mum and baby.
Breastmilk is tailor-made for your baby, providing them with all the nutrition they need and adapting to meet their changing needs as they grow.
Breastmilk also supports the growth of healthy gut bacteria and is packed with amazing antibodies which are important in building your baby’s immune system. The antibodies are tailored to help baby fight off infections plus breastfeeding reduces the risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), childhood diabetes and leukaemia too.
Breastfeeding also has many long-term health benefits for mum. It also supports faster uterine recovery, burns calories, releases oxytocin in mum fostering feelings of calmness and connection with baby as well as being convenient, cost effective and environmentally friendly.
Any amount of breastfeeding is beneficial, but exclusively breastfeeding your baby for the first 6 months offers more protection.
Breastfeeding support in Bolton
With the right help and support, most women will be able to breastfeed their baby but there may be times when it can be challenging. If you have any questions or issues, then there is lots of support available.
You can access NHS Infant Feeding Support from:
- Your community midwife
- 0-19 Community Infant Feeding Team – The team will contact you after the birth of your baby to offer advice and support over the phone or through home visits until your baby is 6-8 weeks old. Call 01204 462339.
- Your Health visitor – You can discuss feeding issues with your health visitor during visits, over the phone or at a baby clinic appointment. [See support from your health visitor section]
- The Specialist Midwife Infant Feeding Team – Provide 1-to-1 support for feeding difficulties/complex issues for babies under 4 weeks old (by appointment only) – Call 01204 390423
- The Specialist Health Visitor for Infant Feeding – Provides 1-to-1 support for feeding difficulties/complex issues (by appointment only) – Call 01204 462339.
You can also access peer support from Breastfeeding Together who provide:
- Antenatal infant feeding education sessions
- 1-1 support on the wards at Royal Bolton Hospital
- 1-1 home visits and telephone support
- Live web chat everyday 7-10pm
- A closed Facebook group
- Breast pump hire
- Weekly breastfeeding support groups delivered online and face to face in locations across Bolton so you can meet other mums and access peer support
You can also access further information and support from:
- The National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212: Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Bottle feeding
You can feed your baby breast milk or infant formula from a bottle.
Mixed feeding is when you combine breastfeeding with bottle feeding, either using expressed breast milk or infant formula. Exclusively breastfeeding, ideally for the first 6-8 weeks after birth, will help to establish your milk supply. Where possible, it’s best to do this before introducing a bottle especially if you want to continue breastfeeding or offering breastmilk.
Whether you’re offering breastmilk or formula in a bottle, paced bottle feeding can be a good way of introducing bottle feeding and letting your baby take the lead. Using this method also reduces the risk of digestive upset and means less wind. This helps your baby control their appetite and learn to recognise when they’re full. Paced bottle feeds puts your baby in control of the process.
If you have any worries or concerns, the best thing to do is speak to your midwife or health visitor.
For more information and support with bottle feeding, see the links below.
Introducing solids, weaning and complimentary feeding all describe:
- The process of moving baby from a milk only diet to one that includes them eating a range of foods alongside their milk by one year.
- It’s a slow gradual process between 6-12 months and beyond.
- At first, any solid food given to baby is done so in addition to their milk feeds, to complement their milk rather than replace it.
- The type, texture and amount of food offered will slowly build as your baby develops new skills and learns to enjoy eating foods.
- Provides additional energy and nutrients needed for growth
- Introduces a variety of tastes and textures from different food groups
- Introduces food allergens to help develop baby’s immune system
- Helps grow healthy gut bacteria to help develop baby’s digestive system
- Develops physical skills needed to eat, drink, swallow and feed themselves
- Develops communication skills and helps baby learn words for talking
- Provides opportunities to connect with others and enjoy mealtimes
- Introduce solid food to baby when they are around 6 months old
- Avoid introducing solid foods before 4 months (17 weeks) – Due to an increased risk of baby developing allergies and infections
- Avoid delaying later than 6 months – As baby needs extra iron from food, as well as exposure to textures and allergens
- For preterm infants (born under 37 weeks) – Most will benefit from following these recommendations using their ‘corrected age’ however those with chronic health issues may require specialist advice.
It’s a good idea to wait until around 6 months before introducing solid foods because:
- breast or first infant formula milk provide baby with all the energy and nutrients they need for the first 6 months of life
- if you're breastfeeding, feeding only breast milk up to around 6 months of age will help protect your baby against illness and infections
- waiting until around 6 months gives your baby time to develop so they can cope fully with solid foods
- your baby will be more able to feed themselves
- your baby will be better at moving food around their mouth, chewing and swallowing it – this may mean they'll be able to progress to a range of tastes and textures (such as mashed, lumpy and finger foods) more quickly, and may not need smooth, blended foods at all
There are 3 developmental signs which show that your baby is physically ready and safe to start solid foods alongside their milk.
Can your baby:
- Sit up and hold their head steady?
- Co-ordinate their eyes, hands and mouth so they can look at the food, pick it up and put it in their mouth by themselves?
- Move their tongue to swallow food? (rather than push it back out)
It is best to wait until your baby is displaying all 3 signs, which for most babies is not until around 6 months.
The first sign, being able to sit up, is important as babies who don’t yet have the core strength to hold themselves up will find it difficult to focus on swallowing foods safely and feeding themselves. Tummy time is a great way to build your baby’s core strength for sitting up and weaning.
To check if your baby is ready, take the NHS ready or not weaning quiz
- Baby wanting extra milk feeds
- Baby chewing their hands and toys
- Baby waking up in the night (more than usual)
- Baby looking interested in food and others eating
These are all normal behaviours for babies but not necessarily a sign that they are hungry or ready and safe to start solid foods. Also:
- Starting solid foods won’t help baby sleep through the night, if hungry extra milk feeds are enough until baby is physically ready for solid foods
- Bigger babies and baby boys are not likely to be ‘hungrier’ or need to start solids earlier as your baby’s milk will provide them with all the energy and nutrition they need for their first 6 months, regardless of their size or gender.
- First Steps Nutrition Trust – Download their Eating Well Resources
Financial help from the Healthy Start Scheme
Get help to buy healthy food and milk. The Healthy Start scheme is a national government welfare scheme for families on low income. Pregnant women, or families who have children under four years old, may be entitled to get vouchers or payments every four weeks.
If you’re eligible, you’ll be sent a Healthy Start card with money on it that you can use in some UK shops. We’ll add your benefit onto this card every 4 weeks.
You can use your card to buy:
- plain liquid cow’s milk
- fresh, frozen, and tinned fruit and vegetables
- fresh, dried, and tinned pulses
- infant formula milk based on cow’s milk
You can also use your card to collect:
- Healthy Start vitamins – these support you during pregnancy and breastfeeding
- Vitamin drops for babies and young children – these are suitable from birth to 4 years’ old
For more information visit https://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/