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All babies admitted to the neonatal unit benefit greatly from receiving breastmilk. This is seen as part of their medical treatment.

Your breastmilk helps protect your baby from infection and preterm complications, and will also help your baby’s brain, eyes and gut to mature and develop.

We recommend that you start to hand-express milk for your baby within an hour of birth. You should be given a hand expression pack either before your baby is born or as soon after delivery as possible. If you have not received one, please ask the nurse or your midwife for one.

After the first couple of days when your milk starts to flow, we have expressing pumps available for you to use. We loan out hand-held breast pumps free of charge. They are available to use for the duration of your baby’s stay on the neonatal unit. We ask that these are returned prior to your baby’s discharge.

You will find lots of useful information in the breastfeeding room on the unit, and staff are always available to help and advise.

Donor expressed breast milk

If you have given birth to a very small or preterm baby you may not always be able to provide enough of your own breast milk at first. Donorexpressed breast milk (DEBM) may be the preferred alternative milk if there is not enough of mum’s own breast milk to meet the baby’s needs.

If your baby’s consultant feels this is the best alternative milk, they will discuss this with you and need to gain your consent. DEBM is donated from mothers who have been fully screened and their milk is pasteurised and frozen until needed.

Read more information on the benefits of colostrum for sick or preterm babies