All genders

Start offering iron-rich foods as soon as your baby starts solids. Keep offering iron-rich foods daily to help prevent iron deficiency.

How to get started giving your baby solids.

Hints and videos to help with making sure your baby is properly attached to your breast for breastfeeding.

Find out more about why skin-to-skin contact between you and your baby is the best place for your baby to start life. 

Avoid giving pēpi (babies) small hard foods or whole foods.

Pēpi (babies) and tamariki (children) can choke on food at any age but those under 5 are at higher risk, and especially tamariki and pēpi under 3. Watch a video about ways to reduce the choking risk.

Your baby's age, how much they weigh, the time of day, their activity level and their rate of growth can all affect your baby's formula needs. The formula tin will list general guidelines.

Infant formula powder is not sterile. Handle and store prepared formula with care to keep it safe for your baby.

Washing and sterilising of feeding equipment is very important. It is also very important to have clean hands when handling feeding equipment or preparing formula.

Check out the ways you can tell if your baby is getting enough milk. Your midwife or Well Child nurse will also help you to recognise these signs, and make sure your baby is feeding effectively.

It is fine to choose any 'from birth' formula that suits your budget. There is no independent evidence to suggest that any company's milk is better for your baby.

Skin to skin contact between you and your baby is beneficial to you both at any time. It is particularly important immediately following birth, no matter whether you intend to breastfeed or formula feed.

You will need feeding bottles and teats with caps, collars and sealing discs. You will also need a bottle brush and a teat brush, kitchen tongs, and sterilising equipment (necessary for the first 6 months).

Breastmilk can be stored. Remember to use a sterilised container to put the milk in. Find out more about how long you can store breastmilk.

Expressing milk means squeezing milk out of your breast. You would do this if you are separated from your baby for any reason.

Feeding whenever your baby wants to feed will help maintain your milk supply. This is your baby's way of making sure they have all the breastmilk they need. The milk they take is replaced each time they feed.