Feeding your baby
It is recommended that babies are breastfed for the first 6 months of their life.
Babies will give you cues on when they want to be fed, this is known as responsive feeding. Watch North Northants Council's short video to help you recognise the signs that your baby wants to be fed.
Colostrum and first feed
Colostrum is the first breast milk your body makes. It is the perfect source of nutrition for your baby because it:
- Contains antibodies which help to protect your baby from infection and helps their immune system to develop.
- Helps your baby’s digestive system to develop, which protects your baby from allergies.
- Encourages your baby to open their bowels and pass ‘meconium’ (your baby’s first black sticky poo) which reduces the risk of jaundice.
Your body will produce colostrum in the later stages of pregnancy. This can be express and stored by using a colostrum kit. This process is known as colostrum harvesting
Breastfeeding
The benefits of breastfeeding are not only does it provides the all the nutrients that your baby needs to develop but helps to:
- you bond with your baby – breastfeeding is a lovely way to feel close and strengthen the bond between you and your baby
- release a hormone called oxytocin that helps you feel calm and connected to your baby
- protect your health – breastfeeding lowers your risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, osteoporosis (weak bones), diabetes and cardiovascular disease (conditions affecting the heart or blood vessels)
Supporting your breastfeeding journey
The health for under 5's website offers useful information about breastfeeding, including:
Leicester Mammas offers free support sessions on infant feeding to parents who live in Leicester.
Combine feeding
This is when you offer your baby a combination of bottle feeds as well as breast feeding. The bottle feed can be made up of expressed breast milk or formula.
Further information about combine feeding is available on NHS Start for Life website.
Bottle feeding
If you choose to bottle feed your baby, you will need know about:
Introducing solid foods
Babies only need milk for their first 6 months of their life and will receive the right nutrients for their development.
When you baby is around 6 months old, you can start to introduce them to solid foods.
Health for under 5's website provides ideas of foods to try and avoid, along with other helpful tips to introducing solids.