Health professionals may wonder how to support families who choose to formula feed their babies within a baby-friendly setting. The good news is that the Baby-Friendly Initiative (BFI) includes families who choose to bottle or formula feed their babies.

Several ways that the BFI at BC Women's supports formula feeding families:

• Skin-to-skin care: all families should experience the benefits.
• Non-separation policy: all families benefit from our policy, which helps enable effective teaching and awareness of their unique baby.
• Infant feeding information provided to families: staff act as an advocate for the baby by giving families this information to help them make an informed decision and then carries out the family's wishes.
• Formula information: we provide accurate and timely information on the safe provision of formula when formula is required. We provide instructions on the safe preparation and storage of formula.
• No marketing of formula: the World Health Organization (WHO) prohibits marketing of formula – decisions on purchasing and using formula are based on clinical need rather than marketing or advertising.

You will find more information on formula feeding at the following websites:  Healthy Families BC and HealthLink BC.