First 12 Months

Feeding

The Department of Health recommends breast feeding exclusively for the first 6 months as breast milk provides all the nutrients a baby needs, along with many other benefits for baby and for mum. However, all babies, whether they are breast fed or bottle fed, develop at different rates.

Mums are advised to introduce their babies to solid food – weaning - when they are about six months old (and not before 20 weeks old). If your baby is showing signs of not being totally satisfied by her feeds, talk to your healthcare professional.

If your bottle-fed baby is still showing signs of being hungry after a feed, even when you have increased milk feeds for a few days, your healthcare professional may advise you to use a curd-based baby milk, such as SMA White*. SMA White takes longer to digest, which also may help postpone weaning until the recommended age. If you think your baby would benefit from a curd-based formula, talk to your healthcare professional or call the SMA Careline* on 0845 776 2900 or ROI on 1 800 931 832.

Your healthcare professional, and the SMA Careline*, will be able to give you lots of advice about which foods to use for weaning but, basically, you start by giving her smooth, easily-digestible, bland food, such as baby rice mixed with either breast milk or infant milk, gradually moving on to fruit and vegetable purées.

From about 7-8 months, introduce her to ‘soft’ finger foods, such as slices of ripe fruit, cooked vegetable pieces, fingers of pitta bread, and lumpier foods, such as mashed vegetables, scrambled eggs and cottage cheese. If you delay introducing lumpier foods, you may find that your baby refuses to eat lumpier foods when she is older.

Once your baby is six months old, if she is bottle feeding, you can also replace her ‘normal’ infant milk with a follow-on milk, such as SMA Progress*. Until the age of one year, in addition to a healthy weaning diet, it is important that your baby consumes 500-600 ml of breast, infant or follow-on milk, every day. If she is taking less milk than this, your healthcare professional will be able to advise you on the use of vitamin A, C and D drops. If you are still breast feeding your baby after 6 months, in addition to a weaning diet, you should include the use of vitamin drops containing A, C and D – ask your healthcare professional for more information about this. (Cows' milk should not be used as a main drink until the age of 1 year)

From the age of six months, it is also important to introduce your baby to drinking from a lidded, free-flowing beaker or a cup rather than a bottle. Using a beaker or cup helps to reduce the risk of dental problems and also helps with speech development.

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IMPORTANT NOTICE: Breast feeding is best for babies. Infant milks are intended to replace breast milk when mothers do not breast feed. Good maternal nutrition is important for the preparation and maintenance of breast feeding. Introducing partial bottle feeding may have a negative effect on breast feeding and reversing a decision not to breast feed is difficult. You should always seek the advice of a doctor, midwife, health visitor, public health nurse, dietitian or pharmacist on the need for and proper method of use of infant milks and on all matters of infant feeding. Infant milk should always be prepared and used as directed. Unnecessary or improper use of infant milk may present a health hazard. Social and financial implications should be considered when selecting a method of infant feeding. • SMA PROGRESS is a follow-on milk for babies over 6 months and is not intended to replace breast feeding. When used in conjunction with solid feeding, it provides the nourishment essential to a baby’s healthy and sustained growth.

*Trade Mark