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Making Your Feeding Choices

You may change your thinking about how you plan to feed your baby during the course of your pregnancy so it might be helpful to consider the options and make your final decision once your baby is born.

To help you make your choices - it might be useful to think about the differences between breastmilk and formula milk.

Formula Milk	Breastmilk
Manufactured from cow’s milk	Provides all the nourishment your baby needs until about 6 months of age when solids can be introduced
Does not contain living cells, enzymes or hormones found in breastmilk	Your milk is unique to your baby and constantly changes to meet your baby’s needs as he/she grows
Does not contain antibodies or properties that help fight against infections	Your milk contains antibodies which provide protection for your baby from infection
Does not contain antibodies or properties that help fight against infections	Provides long-term health benefits for baby Lower risk of diabetes Reduced risk of obesity Protection against ear infections Protection against chest infections Protection against gastroenteritis For mother: Lower risk of breast cancer Lower risk of ovarian cancer Stronger bones in later life

We will also provide you with other useful guides during your pregnancy which will also help to give additional information.

Ready Steady Baby! is NHS Scotland’s guide to pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenthood up to 8 weeks after the birth. Each section has lots of helpful expert advice as well as top tips, parent stories and step-by-step guidance on everything from getting ready for the birth to nappy changing.

Off to a Good Start: all you need to know about breastfeeding booklet aims to help pregnant women, new mums and their families make decisions about how they will feed their baby.