Balancing Breastmilk, Formula and Food in the First Year

January 2026

By Dr Kavita Thanakrishnan, Breastfeeding Medicine Specialist GP

Feeding a baby is meant to feel intuitive, but without the shared knowledge that once surrounded new parents, it can start to feel much harder than it needs to be.
We are a mammalian species that learns through connection, watching, and being supported by others. Yet today, many parents have never held a baby before having their own, and so they are left to navigate feeding in isolation, without the quiet reassurance that used to come from community and experience.

The good news is that feeding in the first year is much simpler than it feels. Milk remains the foundation, and solids are gently layered in as babies grow. Once you understand how breastmilk, formula, solids and your baby work together, a lot of the pressure falls away.

Common worries you might have

If you’ve ever wondered:

• Should my baby still be drinking this much milk?
• Is my baby eating enough solids?
• Am I supposed to drop feeds now?
• What if my baby prefers milk to food?
• Is it okay to mix breastmilk, formula, and solids?

You are not alone. These questions are incredibly common, and they come from wanting to do the very best for your baby and the myths that have arisen.

Let’s go back to the guiding principles.

Feeding is dictated by the infant’s development and ability to process the food. This ability depends on many factors.

Why only breastmilk or formula in the first six months?

At birth, a baby’s digestive system is still very simple. The infant gut can only handle breastmilk or formula. Over the next four to six months, the cells lining the intestine, called enterocytes, mature and develop. This allows the gut to safely digest more complex foods. so that the infant is now capable of digesting more complex foods. This is why solids are introduced gradually around six months. The gut is now ready to handle a wider variety of textures and nutrients safely.

Milk is still the main source of nutrition for the first 12 months of life.

For the first year, milk is the primary source of nutrition, whether breastmilk, formula, or a combination. Milk provides all the essential nutrients for the development of an infant; brain development, immune and nerve development. Solids complement the milk source – they do not replace it.

Solids are layered in gently. They complement milk, not replace it.

Should my baby still be drinking this much milk?

Yes. During the first year, we do not reduce the number of feeds/milk when solids begin– we just add solids to it. We add food on top of milk, rather than taking milk away.

Milk remains the foundation.

Is my baby eating enough solids?

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Many things affect a baby’s appetite: temperament, teething, illness, developmental leaps, sleep changes, and growing independence. Some babies eat everything. Some are too distracted. Some eat well one day and very little the next. All of this can be normal.

Babies are going through extraordinary change: learning to sit, crawl, stand, communicate, and regulate their emotions. Their appetite will naturally fluctuate.

Your role is to offer and please, speak to a professional if you’re worried.

Introducing solids: nutrition and development

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Around six months, babies are usually ready to start solids. The determining feature that dictates a child’s readiness for solids is the neurological (being able to sit up and manage their gag reflex) and gastrointestinal development of the infant – can extract and process foods that are more complex than milk.

Solids serve two main purposes

Nutrition: Providing essential vitamins and minerals that milk alone may not supply in sufficient amounts, especially iron and zinc, which support growth and development.
Development: Helping babies learn how to chew, swallow, and explore tastes and textures, supporting oral motor skills and a positive relationship with food.

Early solids are usually small in volume. Even just showing interest or tasting foods is normal. And if you have a baby that shows no interest, remembers, that babies still get most of their nutrition from breastmilk or formula.