Infant feeding

You may have questions and concerns about how you are going to feed your baby whilst you, or your partner are pregnant.

All our midwives are able to have a full discussion with you about your feelings around feeding, but if you have any specific concerns or require a more detailed plan to support your individual needs in the early postnatal period, please contact the infant feeding team on the details above. You can also attend the breastfeeding support groups listed below, whilst you are pregnant, to help you prepare for the feeding of your baby.

Taking time to connect with your baby by noticing and responding to movements and talking to your bump will help you be more responsive once your baby is born and is invaluable to your baby’s brain development.

After your 36^th week of pregnancy or at a time tailored to you, your midwife will discuss the benefits of antenatal hand expressing.

Below is some information about what hand expressing is and some guidance on how to do it.

Antenatal Hand Expressing

'Building a happy baby' information leaflet from The Baby Friendly Initiative

Antenatal Expression of Colostrum information

The best way to say hello to your baby is in skin-to-skin contact. Uninterrupted skin-to-skin immediately after birth, and until after the first feed, is an important start to your baby’s life. It has many evidenced benefits, whether you are breast or bottle feeding, including calming and relaxing you both and kick-starting your close and loving relationship. It will also stimulate the release of hormones needed to get breastfeeding off to a good start.

Skin-to-skin is not just for the early days; it can help calm and comfort you and your baby weeks and months into their life.

Skin-to-skin contact - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)

Breastfeeding Skin-to-Skin Helps Baby Build a Healthy Immune System - La Leche League International (llli.org)

Your breast milk is the tailor-made food for your baby and is the most nutritionally complete option.

Your baby relies on it for optimal development, and it promotes long-term health for you and your baby. There are many things you can do to prepare yourself for breastfeeding or breast milk feeding your baby, which may help you to know what to expect in the early days. Understanding normal newborn behaviour is key to helping your baby to learn to breastfeed.

Below are some excellent resources (these are designed to be in addition to, not instead of individualised support).

Breastfeeding in the first hours - Video - Global Health Media Project

Attaching Your Baby at the Breast - Video - Global Health Media Project

Off to the best start leaflet - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)

Positioning and attachment video - Baby Friendly Initiativ (unicef.org.uk)

What to Do About Nipple Pain - Video - Global Health Media Project

Increasing Your milk supply - Video - Global Health Media Project

If you are giving your baby infant formula it is crucial to be confident in the safe making up and giving of feeds. Feeding your baby is much more than just nutrition and feeding responsively will help your baby feel safe, loved and more securely attached to you.

Below are some resources to help you.

Infant milk for parents and carers — First Steps Nutrition Trust

Responsive Feeding Infosheet - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)

Guide to bottle feeding leaflet - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)

Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding - Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef.org.uk)

The community breastfeeding support team, run by the Starting Well Partnership are your first point of contact for breastfeeding support. They will contact you within 72 hours after your baby is born via text or phone call.

Many new parents find it helpful and reassuring to attend a feeding support group.

These are run throughout Worcestershire by the Starting Well Partnership. They can support you with positioning and attachment with breast or chest feeding in a warm and welcoming environment.

You can find information about the breastfeeding support workers and the groups and services they offer at: Breastfeeding | Starting Well (startingwellworcs.nhs.uk).

The NCT also run breastfeeding support groups throughout the local area:

Baby Latte - Malvern

• Wednesdays 11am - 1pm @ Malvern Cube.

Breast Feeding Mothers Group - Evesham

• Fridays 12noon - 2pm @ Baptist church on Cowl Street, Evesham.

Baby Café - Crowle

• Tuesdays 10am - 12pm @ Crowle Platinum Parish Hall, WR7 4AZ.

If you need to speak to someone out of hours about feeding, and your baby is less than 4 weeks old, you can contact the transitional care unit (TCU) on: 01905 760663.

You can also access any of these national services:

• National breastfeeding helpline (24/7 service): 0300 1000 212
• NCT infant feeding line (from 8am - midnight): 0300 330 0700

If you are concerned that your baby may have a restriction in the movement of their tongue which is causing feeding problems, you can self-refer to our service. You must meet ALL of the criteria below for your referral to be considered.

• Ongoing problems with breast or bottle feeding that have not been resolved with support.
• Less than 16 weeks from your original EDD.
• You live in Worcestershire OR you birthed your baby at Worcestershire Royal Hospital OR your antenatal and postnatal care is provided by Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust.

Please fill in our referral form and email it to: wah-tr.tongue-tie@nhs.net

Our infant feeding team also run the Worcestershire Welcomes Breastfeeding Facebook Page.

Feel free to 'like' our page for new evidence and infant feeding updates and news.

The Starting Well Partnership can also be followed on social media, for updates on breastfeeding support groups.

The Starting Well Partnership on Facebook

The Starting Well Partnership on Instagram