Breastfeeding or bottle feeding – which is best?

How to feed your baby can be a contentious subject. As a new mother, it can feel like there is pressure and opinion from everybody from your midwife to your mother-in-law to total strangers.

Many people struggle to breastfeed for various reasons, such as supply or latching issues. Some have no choice as their baby is lactose-intolerant. Meanwhile, those who do breastfeed can face criticism for feeding their baby in public or not having a fixed schedule. This can lead to a lot of guilt, tension and even shame around just trying to keep your baby fed and healthy.

Your choice of feeding method, or the method that just happens due to circumstances, is personal. Slogans such as “breast is best” or “fed is best” can be unhelpful and minimising of the complexity that can come with finding the right feeding method for you and your baby.

At a glance

• There are three main methods of feeding your baby – breastfeeding, bottle/formula feeding and combination feeding.
• Which method you choose hugely depends on your preference, circumstances and how your baby responds.
• It’s good to research all methods, both so you can make an informed decision and in case you are unable to continue with your first choice.

Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding (some people prefer the term ‘chest feeding’) is feeding with milk from your breasts. This can be fed to your baby either straight from the breast or by using a breast pump and bottle. Exclusively breastfeeding is when you don’t use any formula whatsoever.

Many parents find this the most natural and simple way to feed. It’s often pushed as the best feeding method for your baby’s health. Over 80% of mothers attempt breastfeeding, although only 1% in the UK are still exclusively breastfeeding when their baby is six months old, according to UNICEF.

Advantages of breastfeeding

• Breastmilk fulfils all your baby’s nutritional needs, as well as antibodies from you that can protect them from illness and infection.
• Breastfeeding can lower your baby’s risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) by up to 50%, according to The Lullaby Trust.
• It lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancers, according to Cancer Research UK. Some research suggests it even offers protection for your baby against childhood cancers, particularly leukaemia.
• It’s enormously beneficial for bonding with your baby. Feeding straight from the boob provides excellent skin to skin contact and while nursing, your baby’s brain releases oxytocin, a hormone that gives a feeling of love, happiness and bonding.
• In terms of practicality, breastfeeding directly requires no preparation, equipment or cleaning afterwards. Your baby can be fed immediately.
• Breast milk is free (although ensuring you have a good diet to support it can get expensive, and things like nursing bras aren’t free).
• It’s difficult to overfeed an exclusively breastfed baby.
• It can help with losing baby weight because it burns hundreds of additional calories a day. However, producing milk can also increase your appetite and bodies handle things differently, so linear weight loss is not a guarantee.

Disadvantages of breastfeeding

• Many women find breastfeeding painful. If this is the case, medical professionals can help with the cause of the pain.
• Sharing feeding with somebody else can take planning. A regular pumping routine so there is always breast milk in the fridge can help with this.
• Feeding on the go can be more challenging.
• You will likely have to plan your clothes around being able to access your boobs. Maternity and nursing bras, pyjamas and even clothes are excellent for this (by design) but can be expensive.
• Exclusive breastfeeding with no use of bottles can sometimes make it difficult for your child to accept bottles or cups as they get older. This can make being apart from your child very difficult if they won’t drink anything. It’s worth noting that bottle rejection can happen at any time, even if you did introduce them early.

Formula feeding

Formula feeding is feeding your baby with baby formula. This requires bottles and shop-bought formula, as basic cow’s milk cannot meet nutritional needs alone.

Some people choose to exclusively formula feed from day one, while for many it’s because breastfeeding was unsuccessful or not an option.

Advantages of formula feeding

• Less pressure on the mother’s body postpartum, both to produce quality milk and do all nighttime feeds (losing sleep in the process).
• Sharing feeding duties is simpler. This can be very helpful if you’re doing Shared Parental Leave, using professional childcare or otherwise sharing childcare responsibilities.
• Feeds tend to be shorter.
• It’s much easier to monitor exactly how much milk they’ve had.

Disadvantages of formula feeding

• Preparing a bottle takes longer than popping a boob out; if your baby is hungry and crying, this wait can be stressful for you both.
• Cleaning and sterilising bottles can be time consuming.
• You have to pay for formula, though you may be eligible for help with costs through the Healthy Start scheme.
• It can take a few tries to find the right formula for your baby due to allergies or intolerances. Supermarkets can also sell out of the particular brand your baby is used to.
• Formula milk doesn’t provide any antibodies.
• Formula generally leads to more gas, which can get trapped and cause discomfort (and sometimes colic).

Combination feeding or mixed feeding

Combination feeding (also known as combo feeding) is feeding using both breastmilk and formula. This can be using a combination of breast and bottle, or only bottles but with both pumped breastmilk and formula. People often choose this because it can offer the best of both worlds, or to top up breastmilk if supply isn’t quite enough.

Advantages of combination feeding

• Combination feeding can provide the health and bonding benefits of breastfeeding plus the flexibility of formula feeding.
• Having both options available offers extra flexibility and choice.
• Formula can top up shortfall in breast milk supply.

Disadvantages of combination feeding

• Combination feeding can make it difficult not to overfeed your baby, which can lead to them vomiting.
• Cleaning bottles and cleaning a breast pump is a lot of cleaning.

How to decide whether to breastfeed or bottle feed?

The decision of whether to breastfeed, formula feed or combination feed is up to you. There are factors to consider, such as if anybody else will be feeding them and how soon you’ll go back to work.

Whatever you choose, it’s good to have researched options just in case Plan A falls through.

You may find that once the baby is here, a different feeding option actually becomes more practical for your circumstances. For example, you may be unable to breastfeed your child exclusively, or you may plan to formula feed but find breastfeeding more practical and accessible.

Signs your baby is feeding well

Establishing feeding a new baby, especially for the first time, can take a bit of time and learning to get into. Your midwife or health visitor can guide you through it from day 1, so don’t be afraid to ask for help.

Signs that your new baby is feeding well include:

• You can see them drinking and swallowing.
• Their cheeks don’t hollow as they drink.
• Their nose is not squashed into your breast as they feed (you may have to hold your boob out of the way), meaning they can comfortably breathe from their nose.
• They are steadily gaining weight.
• They appear to enjoy feeds.
• You can tell your breasts have let down after a feed.
• Their nappies are wet and their poos are changing colour as expected.
• They aren’t showing signs of dehydration, such as dry lips or dark wee.

If you’re worried about your baby’s feeding, contact your Maternity Triage (if your baby is under 6 weeks old) or your GP. You can also speak to the NCT Infant Feeding Line on 0300 330 0700.

Cluster feeding

Cluster feeding is when a bay feeds very frequently for a period of time. It usually happens in their first few months and is completely normal. It happens when they are going through a growth spurt or looking for extra comfort.

Both bottle-fed and breastfed babies can cluster feed. If you’re using formula, you’ll need to make sure you don’t overfeed them. If you’re breastfeeding, you can let them feed as much as they wish.

Do I need to track feeds?

You don’t have to track feeds, unless told by a medical professional to do so.

Many people do find it helpful to track feeds and there’s a selection of apps for this. It’s especially helpful if you are concerned about your baby’s intake or weight, or if your partner is sharing a lot of the feeding responsibilities. In this case, apps can enable you to both see when the baby was last fed and how much/how long for.

Tracking feeds is often something people do in the beginning; you may feel comfortable with stopping once breastmilk supply is stable or routine is regular.

You can choose to feed on demand, also called responsive feeding. This is when you follow your baby’s feeding cues that they are hungry, such as crying or attempting to suckle, rather than sticking to a feeding schedule. You can still track if you do this but may not find it necessary.

What equipment do I need for feeding my baby?

There’s a lot of equipment available for breast and formula feeding, from standard bottles to nipple shields, pumps, cushions, nursing chairs for breastfeeding.

It’s very possible you won’t know exactly what you need until your baby arrives, but we have a list of baby items to keep in mind.

FAQs