In this article

Breastfeeding Your baby's weight Bottlefeeding

Problems Feeding at night Help and support

Switching to formula Going back to breastfeeding

Combining breast and bottle feeding

Many mothers do manage to combine feeding by breast and bottle - this is also known as 'mixed feeding'. Women who return to work, or know they're going to be separated from their baby for a length of time, may choose to use a combination of breastmilk and formula.

Some women express breastmilk so their baby can continue having breastmilk when they're not together. Breastmilk is made in direct response to your baby feeding - giving formula alongside breastfeeding could affect your breastmilk supply, but it's possible to combine successfully.

Speak to your health visitor or a breastfeeding counsellor about how best to manage this, so you can maintain breastfeeding.

• Wait until breastfeeding is well established, so formula has less of an effect on your breastfeeding - for most mothers a good time to do this is after five to six weeks
• Waiting also reduces the chance your baby ends up preferring the bottle - babies who are happy breastfeeders seem less likely to end up being confused between the different sucking methods at breast and bottle
• If you're giving formula at the same feed as breastfeeding, breastfeed first to keep up your supply, if that's what you want

It's normal for babies to wake in the night and need feeding. Breastfeeding makes night feeds easier. See our feature on Sleeping.

In hospital, midwives should help you. Hospitals that have Baby Friendly status, or are working towards it, should be especially good at this.

At home, you'll get a number of visits from a community midwife. Part of her job is to give breastfeeding support and information. Your health visitor should also be able to help you with any feeding questions - breast or bottle.

You could also contact a breastfeeding counsellor from a volunteer organisation. Ask your midwife or health visitor about local groups for breastfeeding mothers.

Most mother who switch to formula in the early weeks do so with regret - 90 per cent of women who switch before six weeks would like to continue. This means they can feel guilty and defensive about switching.

If this applies to you, think about giving yourself a break. Feed your baby closely and responsively, just as you would with breastfeeding. Often, it's the intimacy that mothers miss when breastfeeding stops, for whatever reason. It needn't disappear. In fact, there's nothing to stop you holding your baby to your breast whenever you want to, even if you're no longer breastfeeding.

Guilt is the emotion we feel when we know we've done something deliberately wrong - this just doesn't apply to infant feeding, when parents work out what's likely to be best for them and their baby in their own particular circumstances.

If breastfeeding didn't work out well, understanding what happened can help, as can considering where you might get support if there's a next time with another baby.

This is called 'relactation' and if you're very unhappy about your switch to formula, you might want to think about exploring this option. It isn't easy and you have to be fairly sure you want to do it. Ask a breastfeeding counsellor how it's done.