Infant Feeding
Formula Feeding Basics
Safe, confident bottle feeding with clear prep steps, a feed log and an amount-by-age sheet to talk through with your Plunket nurse.
NZ$24.99Buy
Infant feeding courses, from first feeds to first kai
Step-by-step help with formula, expressing, mixing breast and bottle, going back to work and starting solids, in line with New Zealand's guidelines for babies and toddlers.
- 8 courses
- Tools in every course
- Certificate included
The Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers recommend breast milk only for around the first six months, then continuing to breastfeed alongside other foods until two years of age or beyond. If you use formula, an infant formula is the only suitable alternative to breast milk in the first year. Follow the instructions on the tin exactly, make each bottle fresh and prepare the water as the label directs. Cow's milk can become your child's main milk drink from 12 months, and honey should wait until after the first birthday.
First foods are usually started at around six months, and not before four months. Signs a baby is ready include holding their head steady, sitting with support, showing interest in food and no longer pushing food back out with their tongue. Foods that commonly cause allergies, such as well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter, are introduced during the first year once solids have started, rather than being delayed. Always sit with your baby while they eat, and change the shape and texture of hard foods, as whole nuts and hard raw pieces are choking risks.
Your LMC midwife, your Plunket or Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse and PlunketLine (0800 933 922, free at any hour) can all help with feeding. Our courses, written by Dr Aqsa Mukhtiar, PhD in Nutrition, add the logs, planners and safety cards you can share with anyone who helps with feeds.
All infant feeding courses
Infant Feeding
Combination Feeding Education
A gentle guide to giving breast and bottle together, with a supply-protection checklist and paced feeding card for close, unhurried feeds.
NZ$29.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Expressing & Storing Breast Milk
Everything about expressing and storing breast milk, from your first hand-expressed drops to a tidy, well-labelled freezer.
NZ$29.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Returning to Work While Breastfeeding
A practical plan for keeping breastfeeding going after parental leave, with storage and hygiene rules for the work fridge.
NZ$24.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Starting Solid Foods
From the first spoonful to whānau meals, with a readiness checker and a simple plan for introducing peanut and egg.
NZ$29.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Starting Solid Foods
From the first spoonful to whānau meals, with a readiness checker and a simple plan for introducing peanut and egg.
NZ$29.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Baby-Led Weaning Education
Let your baby feed themselves with confidence, from the first soft strips to sharing whānau meals at the table.
NZ$29.99Buy
Infant Feeding
Baby-Led Weaning Education
Let your baby feed themselves with confidence, from the first soft strips to sharing whānau meals at the table.
NZ$29.99Buy
Pick the course for your feeding stage
Milk feeds
- Formula Feeding Basics covers choosing an infant formula, cleaning and sterilising, making up feeds safely and responsive bottle feeding.
- Combination Feeding Education shows how to bring in some bottles of formula or expressed milk and keep breastfeeding going.
- Expressing and Storing Breast Milk walks through expressing by hand or pump, keeping milk safe in the fridge or freezer, and cleaning gear.
- Returning to Work While Breastfeeding prepares you for the return, from building a small frozen supply to agreeing breaks with your manager.
First foods
- Starting Solid Foods includes a readiness checker, a first two weeks food plan and an allergen introduction log.
- Baby-Led Weaning Education is for families letting baby feed themselves, with finger food shapes, textures and safety basics.
What the infant feeding tools do
- Formula prep card and sterilising checklist: each step in order on one page, to keep beside the kettle.
- Feed logs and combination feeding planner: times and amounts, useful when more than one person is feeding.
- Pumping schedule, storage chart and labelling sheet: keep expressed milk organised and dated.
- Readiness checker and first foods plan: the signs to look for and simple first tastes.
- Allergen log: record each new allergy-causing food, the date and any reaction.
- Gagging vs choking card: what each looks like and what to do.
- Employer conversation script: a calm way to ask for breaks and a place to express.
When to call your midwife, Plunket nurse, GP or 111
Call 111 if your baby:
- is choking and cannot cough, cry or breathe; start baby first aid while you wait
- has swelling of the lips, face or tongue, noisy breathing or wheezing, or goes pale and floppy after eating
Talk to your midwife, Plunket nurse or GP, or call PlunketLine on 0800 933 922 or Healthline on 0800 611 116, if:
- your baby is feeding poorly, has fewer wet nappies or does not seem to be gaining weight
- your baby gets hives, vomits or develops a rash after a new food; ask before offering it again
- you have a hot, red, painful area on your breast or feel feverish while breastfeeding
Infant feeding courses: your questions
When should my baby start solid food?
At around six months, and not before four months. Look for the signs of readiness: a steady head, sitting with support, interest in food and swallowing rather than pushing food back out. Your Plunket or Well Child Tamariki Ora nurse can help you decide.
When can my baby try egg and peanut?
New Zealand guidance is to introduce common allergy-causing foods, including well-cooked egg and smooth peanut butter, during the first year once solids have started, rather than waiting. Never give whole nuts. If your baby has severe eczema or a known food allergy, talk to your GP first.
Which formula should I use?
A standard infant formula suitable from birth is fine for the whole first year. Talk to your GP or Plunket nurse before switching to a specialised formula, and never water down or concentrate feeds.
Does my baby need water?
Before solids, breast milk or formula gives babies all the fluid they need. Once solids begin at around six months, small sips of water from a cup can be offered. Your Plunket nurse can explain how to prepare water for a young baby.
Can I keep breastfeeding after I go back to work?
Yes. Under New Zealand employment law, employers must provide appropriate breaks and facilities for breastfeeding or expressing, as far as is reasonable and practicable. The course includes a script for that conversation.
What is the difference between gagging and choking?
Gagging is noisy, with coughing and spluttering, and is a normal part of learning to eat. Choking is often silent because the airway is blocked. If your baby is choking, start baby first aid and call 111.
Official sources
Keep every feed in one place
Start the feed log today, and share it with whoever helps at night so nobody has to guess.