For the first 6 months of life, the most suitable food for a baby is breast milk alone.   

A mother's own milk, even in the tiniest quantities, is amazing for her baby, since it is full of concentrated antibodies, stem cells and growth factors, as well as providing food. 

Some parents may need help getting started with breastfeeding, and then other milks may be suggested.  The preferred option is human milk from donor mothers, while the mother works on increasing her supply as far as possible.  Premature babies especially need human milk for the immune protection and growth factors.  The World Health Organisation recommends the use of donor human milk as the feeding of choice, if mother’s own milk is insufficient or unavailable.

The New Zealand Ministry of Health also supports this.

Whāngai Ora Milk Bank was established to collect and distribute safe donor milk for such occasions.   The donors are screened & the milk is pasteurised to make it the safest option of all the supplements alternative to a mother's own milk for the pēpi of the communities, or those who had or are receiving care, within the MidCentral rohe/district.