Feeding your baby can bring up a lot of questions — and sometimes, a lot of opinions. From family and friends to social media and well-meaning advice, it’s easy to feel pressure about what you “should” do.
At Bluebird Kids Health, we believe feeding decisions are personal. What matters most is that your baby is nourished and growing, and that you feel supported along the way.
Breastfeeding is one option for feeding your baby, and like many parts of early parenting, it can come with a learning curve. Here are a few helpful facts to know:
Nursing or pumping regularly helps signal your body to make more milk over time. It’s important to put the baby to breast early and often to kick-start milk production in the early days.
For many parents, milk production increases over the first days and weeks after birth. The first few days of life, newborns need very little (5-30mL) per feed. So don’t be discouraged if you feel you are not producing enough, because you likely are! For many parents, milk production continues to increase over the first weeks after birth and stabilizes around one month.
Latch concerns, discomfort, or worries about supply are experienced by many families and don’t reflect effort or ability.
Cluster feeding can be common and it’s best to follow your baby’s hunger cues and feed on demand. These cues can include rooting, opening the mouth, hands in mouth, and crying. There are also cues that they’re done eating, such as pushing the breast or bottle away, relaxing their body, or falling asleep.
Lactation support and pediatric guidance can be helpful — and it’s always okay to ask questions or explore options.
Try not to watch the clock! Babies often don’t get on a schedule in terms of eating and sleeping until 12-16 weeks.
Formula feeding is a safe and healthy way to feed your baby. Here are a few important things to know:
In the U.S., formulas must meet strict nutritional standards to support healthy growth.
Formula provides complete nutrition and supports normal development.
It may allow other caregivers to help with feeding and support rest and balance for parents.
If concerns arise around allergies and ingredients, your pediatrician can help guide formula choices.
Families choose formula for many reasons, and it can be the right choice for both baby and parent.
Many families finding that mixing breastfeeding and formula works best for them.
Combination feeding can look different for every family:
Breastfeeding for the first few months, then transitioning to formula.
Pumping for some feeds and supplementing with formula for others.
Nursing during the day and using formula at night
We're always here for you.
Bottles can be part of many feeding journeys — whether you’re using pumped breast milk, formula, or both.
Some trial and error is normal. Finding what works for your baby takes time.
You may want to consider:
There’s no single right answer — just the choice that works best for your family right now.
