Breastfeeding and feeding in the first year: what the guidelines say

How long is breastfeeding recommended?

The WHO also suggests starting breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and continuing for 2 years or beyond alongside other foods, and the NHS likewise says there is no upper limit. If the early weeks feel harder than you expected, that is common, and it says nothing about how well you are doing. Many parents find the first stretch is the steepest part of the learning curve.

The reasoning is the health evidence. Breastfeeding is linked with a lower risk of infections and SIDS for babies, and with a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer for mothers. These are patterns across many families, so they describe likelihoods rather than predict how any one child will do, and they don't mean that a family who feeds differently has missed out on a healthy start.

It's worth knowing that this is not all or nothing. In the US, 29.8% of babies are exclusively breastfed through 6 months, so many families feed in more than one way. When your child is past the first year, our guide to childhood nutrition is the next page to read.

One practical point is easy to miss. Breastfed babies need a vitamin D supplement from birth. In the US that is a conversation with your pediatrician about drops, and in the UK the NHS advises vitamin D drops for breastfed babies too. It sits alongside breastfeeding rather than replacing any of it. For the wider picture, see our page on supplements for children.

If feeds hurt, or you are unsure how breastfeeding is going, asking early is a good place to start. In the US, a breastfeeding consultant with the IBCLC credential, or your pediatrician, can help with latch and supply. In the UK, your midwife, health visitor or a breastfeeding counsellor does the same through the NHS. Support is useful whether you plan to breastfeed fully, partly or for a short time.

Three options and the verdict

The evidence shows that all three ways of feeding can raise a healthy baby, and it favours breastfeeding for about 6 months where that works for the family. The clearest trial result in the first year is about allergens. The LEAP trial (Du Toit et al., NEJM, 2015) studied babies at high risk of peanut allergy and found that introducing peanut early lowered allergy risk, and NIAID guidance (2017) builds on that work. Many families now offer egg and peanut from around 6 months rather than holding them back. For babies with severe eczema or a known food allergy, the pediatrician (UK: GP or health visitor) is the first person to talk to.

Is formula or combination feeding a good choice?

Yes, both are good choices. A fed baby, held close and responded to, is doing well, and many parents find that how the milk arrives matters less than the closeness around it.

Feed responsively, whether the milk comes from the breast or a bottle. In plain words, offer a feed when your baby shows hunger, and let your baby stop when they turn away, slow down or lose interest. A bottle does not have to be finished, and following your baby's lead takes the pressure off the ounces (milliliters) marked on the side. Many parents also find that a pause partway to burp the baby (UK: wind the baby) makes feeds calmer.

Combination feeding can be a way to keep breastfeeding going. If breastfeeding alone isn't working, because of supply, pain, work or plain exhaustion, adding a bottle does not have to mean stopping. Some families offer formula at the feeds that are hardest to fit around the day and breastfeed at the others, and many find this keeps the closeness while easing the strain.

No single feeding choice decides how the rest of the story goes, and the care you give day to day counts for far more than any one decision about milk. If you are also parenting an older daughter, our page on puberty is written for her stage.

When should you start solids, and what comes first?

Many families watch for readiness rather than the calendar. Solids start at around 6 months, when your baby can sit up, hold their head steady and pick up food, and until then milk is doing the work. The WHO and the NHS both place the start at about 6 months, so there is no need to hurry.

Offer iron-rich foods and vegetables early. You can spoon-feed purées, try baby-led weaning (BLW), where your baby feeds themselves, or do a bit of both. The guidelines don't ask you to pick a camp, so many families choose the style that suits their baby and household. For your own iron needs while you are feeding, our page on iron supplements for women is written for you.

Allergens are where the advice has changed most, and many families now offer egg and peanut from around 6 months rather than holding them back. For peanut, many families stir a little smooth peanut butter into a purée or loosen it with breast milk or formula, because whole nuts aren't suitable for a baby.

A few foods and drinks wait until after the first birthday, and the table below gathers all the timings in one place. Our weaning chart is a companion for planning first foods once your baby is ready.

Next steps

A good place to start is with what applies to every baby: ask your pediatrician (UK: health visitor or GP) about vitamin D, and pick the milk that works for you, whether breast, formula or both. Around 6 months, when you see the signs of readiness, you can offer first foods at a pace that suits your family. If feeding hurts, or anything on the red-flag list sounds familiar, that is when to see a doctor or an IBCLC. Feeding is not one size fits all, and you are the one who decides what fits you and your baby.