Ways to give your baby extra milk

If you are worried that your baby is not getting enough milk, it is important to first seek help from your health visitor or the maternity unit. If it turns out that your baby needs extra milk for a period of time, there are different ways to give the extra milk while continuing to breastfeed.

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Giving your baby milk by cup, teaspoon or syringe — how to do it

If your baby needs extra milk for a period of time, it may sometimes be best to give the milk by cup, teaspoon or syringe. Swipe to see how to do this.

What are the benefits of giving your baby milk from a cup — and how do we do it?

Giving milk from a small cup is a good option if you need to give your baby small amounts of milk for a short period of time. Your health visitor or the staff at the hospital can advise you on how much milk to give and for how long. 

The cup can be a small glass or a medicine cup. This method is a simple and gentle way to supplement breastfeeding. 

If your baby needs larger amounts of milk or needs supplements for a longer period of time, bottle-feeding or a supplemental nursing system is often a better solution.

 


  • Hold your baby slightly upright. 
  • Hold the small cup with lukewarm breast milk or infant formula against your baby’s lower lip. 
  • Tip the cup slightly so the milk touches your baby’s upper lip and tongue. 
  • Let your baby lap up the milk with their tongue. 
  • It is important to follow your baby’s pace, so they can calmly lap and swallow the milk. 

When you give your baby milk from a cup, your baby can drink at their own pace. Cup–feeding affects breastfeeding less than bottle-feeding.  

What are the benefits of giving your baby milk with a teaspoon — and how do we do it?

A teaspoon is best suited for giving small amounts of milk over a short period of time in the first few weeks after birth. 

Giving milk from a teaspoon can be a good solution if: 

  • your baby has difficulty latching on to the breast, for example because of breast engorgement 
  • your baby is too weak to suck at first 
  • you have hand expressed a little colostrum and want to give it to your baby 
  • your baby needs a little extra milk after breastfeeding. 

 

  • Hold your baby slightly upright. 
  • Hold the teaspoon with warm breast milk or infant formula against your baby’s lower lip. 
  • Tip the spoon slightly so the milk touches the lip. 
  • Let your baby lick the milk in. 
  • It is important to follow your baby’s pace, so they can calmly lick and swallow the milk. 

How to give milk with a syringe

Like the teaspoon, the syringe is best suited for small amounts of milk over a short period of time in the first few weeks after birth. 

Giving milk with a syringe can be a good solution if:

  • your baby has difficulty latching on to the breast, for example because of breast engorgement. In this case, the syringe can be used to place drops of milk on the nipple at the start of a feed to stimulate your baby’s sucking reflex. 
  • your baby is too weak to suck at first 
  • you have hand expressed a little colostrum and want to give it to your baby 
  • your baby needs a little extra milk after breastfeeding. 

  • Fill the syringe with lukewarm breast milk or infant formula. 
  • Hold your baby slightly upright. 
  • Place the tip of the syringe in the corner of your baby’s mouth. 
  • Press the syringe gently so the milk flows slowly into the mouth along the inside of the cheek. 
  • It is important to follow your baby’s pace, so they can calmly lick and swallow the milk. 

Good to do

  • If your baby needs small amounts of extra milk for a period of time, you can give the milk by cup, teaspoon or syringe. 
  • Follow your baby’s pace when giving extra milk by cup, teaspoon, or syringe.

  • Keep putting your baby to the breast to support breastfeeding and help maintain your milk supply.

  • If you are unsure whether your baby is getting enough milk, ask your health visitor or the maternity unit for advice.

Who can you contact?

If you experience challenges with bottle feeding – big or small – do not hesitate to seek professional advice. Swipe to see whom you can contact and when.

Who can you contact at the maternity ward?

You can contact the maternity-ward staff both during pregnancy and after birth.

Before birth, your midwife is the person to speak with about the early time with your baby and your thoughts about feeding – whether breastfeeding or bottle-feeding. If you have had previous breastfeeding problems, you can create a plan together.

Most maternity wards also offer antenatal classes, and your midwife can inform you about these.

After giving birth, you can receive help with breastfeeding from staff on the delivery or maternity ward while you are admitted.

All parents can also contact a breastfeeding hotline at their maternity ward within the first week after birth if they need help or guidance.

You can contact your municipal health-visitor service

The health-visitor service is available to all pregnant and new parents in Denmark. After birth, you will be offered free home visits with support and guidance to help you get a good start with your baby. Depending on your municipality and your stage in the process, different services and contact options may be available.

Some municipalities offer prenatal visits from a health visitor, where you can discuss breastfeeding, bottle-feeding, and preparing for life as a new family. Check your municipality’s website to see whether this is available where you live.

If you have special needs, you can contact the service to ask whether prenatal visits are offered to you.

Your health visitor will contact you and offer the first home visit. You can always call your municipal health visitor service for advice or guidance.

You can contact your GP if needed

Always speak with your doctor if you are pregnant or breastfeeding and need medical treatment. In most cases, there is a medication that is safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

Contact the on-call doctor or call 112 in an emergency

For sudden illness or worsening symptoms that cannot wait until your GP is available, or for minor injuries, you can contact the on-call doctor – or call 1813 if you live in the Capital Region.

In emergencies, if something is life-threatening or dangerous, call 112.

Contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors

You can also contact volunteer breastfeeding counsellors if you need advice or guidance. Denmark has two support organisations: Forældre & Fødsel and Ammenet. The volunteers are mothers who have breastfed themselves, and both organisations provide guidance based on the recommendations of the Danish Health Authority.

Get help from Forældre og Fødsel

Get help from Ammenet

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