One of the things that new mothers worry most about is feeding their baby. How often should you breastfeed? How many bottles of formula milk a day does a newborn need? Relax - because whether you're breastfeeding or bottle feeding, feeding her is a lot simpler than you think...

Did You Know?

Your baby is born with 10,000 taste buds. At first, they are only geared to the sweet taste of your milk. Give her anything bitter, salty or sour and you'll witness a disgusted face!

Breastfeeding Basics
There's no doubt that breast milk if the best food for your newborn, although if you can't breastfeed for any reason, your baby will also thrive on formula milk. It contains valuable antibodies that protect your baby from illness and longchain fatty acids that are important for brain and eye development. Breastfeeding has advantages too. It'll help your uterus contract to its pre-pregnant state more quickly, and encourage your waistline to get back to normal. And it's free whenever your baby wants it, without you having to make up bottles.

But although breastfeeding is natural, it doesn't always come naturally. If you're having difficulties right after birth and you're in hospital, ask a midwife for help. Once you're home, take advantage of your community midwife - she's there to help you too, not just to check your baby's OK. A breastfeeding counsellor can also give help and advice - The National Childbirth Trust (see Support Groups for details) can put you in touch with one.

How often should I feed my baby?
Feeding on demand is the best way to establish a good milk supply. In the first few days after the birth, you breasts produce a special pre-milk called colostrum (mature breast milk comes in around four days after the birth). Colostrum is rich in protein and antibodies and is a valuable first food for your baby - even if you don't carry on breastfeeding it is worth giving it a go even for a few days so your baby gets these important benefits.

In the early days, frequent short feeds will help prevent your nipples from getting too sore. Some babies enjoy suckling for comfort, but most of the nutritional content of breast milk is obtained during the first five to seven minutes of a feed. So, once feeding's established (at around four weeks) leave your baby on the breast for about 10 minutes, then gently unlatch her by slipping your finger in her mouth to break the vacuum.

In some ways breastfeeding is an act of faith - you can't see the fluid ounces being guzzled down as you can with a bottle, but rest assured that it's rare for a breastfed baby not to get enough milk.

Handy Hint

No matter how tricky it might seem at first, you can feed twins together, either with the breast or bottle or both. Ask your midwife and health visitor for help and support if you need it.

Bottlefeeding Basics
If you can't breastfeed or decide you'd rather bottlefeed, formula milk contains all the nutrients your baby needs - and because the milk is carefully measured out you know exactly how much your baby's getting. Bottlefeeding also means your partner can take a turn at feeding the baby.

Good hygiene is vital with bottlefeeding, and it's important not to cut corners when it comes to sterilising and making up bottles. Sterilisers come in three varieties: steam, microwave and cold water. Steam and microwave sterilisers are quick and don't use chemicals, whereas cold water sterilisers are slower and cheaper.

You'll also need six to eight bottles and teats, a bottle brush and a pair of teat tongs. Teats and bottles come in various shapes and sizes - you may need to experiment with a number of differently shaped teats to see which suits your baby. Variflow teats are often a good buy as these respond to your baby's suction rate so that she controls the flow of the milk.

When making up feeds, always wash your hands first, and always follow the instructions on the side of the milk tin (don't add more than the recommended amount of milk powder to a feed). It's a good idea to make up a batch of bottles for every 24 hour period and store them in the fridge (throw way any you don't use). As your baby grows, the volume of milk she takes at each feed will increase and by around three months she may be ready to drop one bottlefeed.

How often should I feed my baby?
The best thing to do is feed your baby on demand. By around six weeks most babies, whether breast- or bottlefet, will have a more regular feeding pattern - usually a four hourly routine of six feeds a day.