Important notice: This article contains information about infant formula and is general in nature. For specific advice, or if you are considering bottle-feeding, always consult your doctor, midwife or healthcare professional for advice about feeding your baby. Introducing infant formula either partially or exclusively may reduce the breast milk supply and is difficult to reverse should a mother change her mind. More information can be found here.

While switching infant formulas is often not necessary, sometimes an infant will seem to have a reaction to a formula they are having which will require a parent to find another option. All infant formulas available in pharmacies and supermarkets in Australia are nutritionally complete meaning  that they will all provide the nutrition that your baby needs, but each infant formula is unique with different ingredients added to try to best mimic breastmilk.

Making a change to your infants formula can sometimes feel daunting when you are trying to figure out how to transition your infant to a new formula.

The most important thing when transitioning formula is to make sure that you get the dilutions right. Every infant formula has a different scoop and so it is really important to make sure that you only use the scoop provided in a specific tin as these are not interchangeable between different brands of formula. Sometimes formulae also have different dilutions instructions. For example, one tin might tell you to mix one scoop with 30ml of water, while another might instruct you to mix one scoop with 50ml. This can add to the confusion!

As little tummies can be sensitive to changes, it is usually recommended to gradually switch from your current formula to a new one. When switching to a formula like Nutura Organic, it is best to move one feed at a time.

Try to replace one feed using your current formula over to the new formula every 1- 2 days. It is probably best to start with a feed in the first half of the day, in case they have any reaction to the feed (better during the day than overnight). Depending how many bottle feeds your infant is having will dictate how long it takes you to fully transition them over to their new formula.

This article is designed to provide general advice for parents and guardians. For specific health advice, please consult with your child’s healthcare practitioner.