Feeding your baby

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding has many benefits, as it:

• helps you bond with your baby
• has all the nutrients your baby needs for their growth and development
• helps protect your baby from infections and disease.

Breastfeeding is not always easy. Common issues you may experience include:

• breast refusal or biting
• sore nipples
• blocked milk ducts and mastitis
• over or under supply of milk.

Bottle feeding

You can bottle feed your baby with:

• expressed breast milk
• baby infant formula.

Baby infant formula is the only safe alternative to breast milk. It has all the nutrients your baby needs for healthy growth and development.

When using baby bottles, it’s important to know how to:

• clean and sterilise bottle feeding equipment
• safely prepare, store and warm bottles.

Get information and support

Pregnancy, Birth & Baby has useful information on:

• how to get started with breastfeeding
• cleaning and sterilising baby bottles
• expressing and storing breast milk
• feeding your baby with formula
• introducing solid foods.

Learn more

You can get breastfeeding information and support from:

• your local child and family health centre
• the lactation clinic at your hospital’s maternity clinic
• your local doctor
• the Australian Breastfeeding Association helpline on 1800 686 268 for 24-hour support. They also offer face to face and online breastfeeding classes, access to support groups and other resources
• Tresillian or call 1300 272 736
• Karitane or call 1300 227 464.

Under or over supply of breast milk

Breast Milk Bank is run by Australian Red Cross Lifeblood. It organises donated breast milk for mothers who cannot produce enough breast milk.

Talk to your doctor, who can can prescribe breast milk for you. You can also choose to donate breast milk directly through Breast Milk Bank.

If you're unable to breastfeed

It is normal for those unable to breastfeed to feel regret and a sense of loss. In this situation, it can help to talk to:

• your partner, family or a close friend
• a counsellor
• the Australian Breastfeeding Association helpline on 1800 686 268 for 24-hour support
• PANDA on 1300 726 306 for emotional and mental health support.