Kingston Hospital recognises breastfeeding as the healthiest way of feeding your baby we also acknowledge that some women will choose to feed their baby by other methods. If formula feeding is your chosen method of feeding you will be fully supported.
For some this will be for medical reasons and others personal choice, whatever the reason, we want to ensure you are provided with information on the benefits/risks of both breastfeeding and artificial feeding to enable you to make an informed choice. Its important to note that giving infant formula to a breast fed baby will reduce your milk supply.
Advice on safe and effective artificial feeding will include information on...
- Appropriate amounts of milk intake
- Sterilisation and hand hygiene
- Making a formula feed
- Storage of formula feeds
- Safe feeding techniques
- Recognising if your baby is hungry
- Recognising when your baby has had enough
- Tips for Safe Formula Feeding
Powdered infant formula is not sterile, good hygiene is essential to prevent your baby becoming ill...
- Wash your hands
- Wash feeding equipment in hot soapy water
- Follow manufacturers instructions for sterilising
- Do not prepare bottles in advance, make fresh for each feed
- Do not store ready made feeds
- Do not store pre-boiled water, boil fresh tap water in a kettle
- Only prepare amount of formula required
- Cool quickly to feeding temperature by holding under running cold water
- Check the temperature is lukewarm
- Discard unused feed within 2 hours
- Do not provide any other source of nutrition until the baby is 6 months old
Signs of a Healthy Artificially fed Baby
- Frequent wet and dirty nappies
- Poo turning yellow by day 5-7
- Wakes regularly for feeds, may be around the clock
- Normal colour
- Alert and easily comforted
- Returned to birth weight by 7-10 days