- Formula feeding Your Newborn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
If baby is born in hospital and you have chosen to formula feed then you will usually be offered a choice of a couple of name-brand formulas to use, though not necessarily the one you would have chosen for yourself - see the information on 'which formula?' to the right. We suggest you speak to the hospital beforehand and find out whether the brand you would want is provided there, and if not take a supply in with you. In this case you will also need the paraphenalia that goes with it - bottles, teats, and a steriliser if the ward don't have one.
Some hospitals no longer provide formula for healthy babies as they see this as a way of encouraging breastfeeding, so if your hospital is one of these you will obviously need to take your own formula in too.
If this applies to you, or if your baby is born at home then it's worth knowing that it is easier to plan ahead and buy ready-to-use formula in small cartons or ready-to-drink bottles, and, as this is a sterile product, it is also much safer for a newborn baby than making up feeds from powder which is known to be contaminated with salmonella, E-coli and E.Sakazakii.
bottle-fed babies should be fed a whey-based milk to start with - see our comparison of the main UK brands
If you are using your own bottles rather than ready-to-use bottles, it's important to familiarise yourself with the guidelines on safe preparation of the formula, and the instructions on how to sterilise the bottles and teats.
At first your newborn may not take much more than 2fl oz (60ml) of milk at each feed.
They may fare better with a prem teat rather than the standard newborn teat which will look enormous next to baby.
