As you can see, the site is not yet completely finished, and so the full contents of this page have not yet arrived. Please check back soon.

In the meantime, please check out the Infant Formula pages, or any of the links on breastfeeding.

There's also an article on formula feeding a newborn baby, some guidelines for sterilising bottles and utensils, and safe preparation of infant formula, details on ingredients and contaminants, information about reflux and colic, and other issues in our article 'Poorly Baby!' and an article about choosing a milk for your baby.

Here's something it's useful to know before starting to feed your baby on infant formula:

The best choice for your baby is always breastmilk. If exclusive breastfeeding is not possible up to 6 months of age, or only breastmilk in conjunction with solids from around the middle of the first year, then the only other 'milk' your baby should recieve, is infant formula.

If a baby is put onto infant formula either instead of, or in conjunction with, breastfeeding, then the formula to go for should always be a 'first stage' one, as the whey-dominant protein structure is the least stressful on the baby's digestive system, will produce the most natural looking poo and is nutritionally complete. Which one you choose is up to each individual parent to decide, based on which added ingredients that the parent thinks are most desireable.

If a normal healthy baby of 3-6 months, who is already being formula fed, is seemingly more hungry and merely upping the number of ounces or incresing the frequency of feeds doesn't seem to be doing the trick, then the so-called 'hungry baby' casein dominant milks can be tried, in an effort to prevent early weaning to solids. These milks have a protein structure which makes them harder to digest and so should space feeds out - but be aware that they may stop baby gaining weight so fast as baby will feel more full, though the calorific and fat levels are the same in infant formula whether whey dominant or casein dominant.

A baby who is content to wait till nearer the middle of the first year to be introduced to solids, or who, when tried on the casein dominant formula, gets a bit constipated or exhibits any other signs of gastrointestinal distress, should therefore stay on the 'first stage' whey-dominant infant formula.

If a baby of over 6 months of age is already on the casein-dominant 'Hungry Baby' milk and is weaned to solids but not eating a balanced diet, for instance perhaps they don't like meat or fish, or aren't eating plenty of veg, then the parents could try follow on formula. Again, if the baby shows any sign of gastrointestinal distress following the introduction of the FOF, or if baby is eating a reasonable diet and is happy on the first stage formula, then there's no need to move to follow on formula, which DOES have additional iron and niacin , but if your child has for example a breakfast cereal like weetabix or readibrek, then they'd be getting as much or more in that as they would from FOF rather than first stage infant formula.

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