Colostrum is full of special types of antibodies to help protect your baby’s health and develop their immune system. There’s more information on this in the links below.

If you choose to bottle feed your baby will only need first stage milk until they are aged one. Unless there is a health reason, in which case your GP or health visitor will advise you.

Read and download this NHS guide to safe bottle feeding for information on how to prepare infant formula and sterilise feeding equipment to minimise the risks to your baby.

Bottles and cups

Only milk and water should be served in a bottle – do not allow the use of a bottle in bed at night as can cause tooth decay if continually used throughout the night.

From six months introduce drinking from an appropriate free flow sip ’n’ flip cup and from age one, a bottle should be discouraged.  Avoid ‘valve cups’ and ‘anyway up’ cups as a baby must suck very hard which has the same effect as a baby bottle. Move from a lidded cup to an ‘open cup’ as soon as your child can safely handle one.

Breast milk (recommended) or infant formula should be the main drink up to one year old but from age one year the bottle should be completely discouraged.