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Breastfeeding is best for babies and has many benefits for both mother and baby, especially in reducing the risk of baby illness. It is important that you advise mothers on the importance of eating a healthy, well-balanced diet in preparation for and during breastfeeding. If a mother is considering changing over from breastfeeding or combining breast and bottle feeding, you should advise them that once the decision to stop breastfeeding has been made, it is difficult to go back. Partial bottle feeding with an infant milk, especially in the first few weeks of life, may reduce the supply of breast milk. Replacing all or some breastfeeds with formula feeding has cost and social implications and these should be carefully considered when deciding how to feed a baby. If a formula milk is being used, it is very important that all preparation instructions are followed very carefully. Failure to choose an appropriate feed or to use it correctly can be harmful to a baby's health.

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