Infant Feeding

The links below go to videos created by the Infant Feeding Team. They are a series of instructional and educational videos which show parents “how to” feed their baby, and clean and use equipment.

How to hand express breast milk(opens in a new tab)
How to breastfeed comfortably(opens in a new tab)
How to wash breast pump equipment on the Neonatal unit(opens in a new tab)
Expressing your breast milk before your baby is born(opens in a new tab)
How to use a Carum breast pump(opens in a new tab)
How to use a Calypso breast pump(opens in a new tab)
Responsive bottle feeding(opens in a new tab)
How to use nipple shields(opens in a new tab)

• Trust leaflets:

• What you need to know about expressing breast milk before your baby is born(opens in a new tab)
• How to Sterilise feeding equipment(opens in a new tab)
• Cleaning and storing breast pump equipment for babies in hospital (ML5860)(opens in a new tab)
• Expressing milk for your baby (ML6741)(opens in a new tab)
• Feeding Support with the FLO text message service ML6737(opens in a new tab)

Other useful leaflets:

• Guide to Bottle Feeding(opens in a new tab)
• Medication and breast milk(opens in a new tab)
• Storing and expressing(opens in a new tab)

However you feed your baby, responding to them and holding them close for feeds and cuddling them when they feel sad will help them feel safe and secure and flood their developing brain with happy hormones. This relationship starts when you are pregnant.

There is lots of useful information about raising a happy baby in the leaflet ‘Building a happy baby’ which you can find by clicking the link here(opens in a new tab).

Skin-to-skin contact as soon as you are able and for at least after the first feed will help you get off to a good start with feeding. Feed your baby frequently. In the first 24 hours your baby may only feed three or four times but they may feed more. After the first 24 hours your baby will need to feed at least eight to ten times in 24 hours. You cannot overfeed a breastfed baby. For more information click here(opens in a new tab).

For Information in other languages on breastfeeding and bottle feeding(opens in a new tab) you can click this link.

Many parents worry that they will not know if the baby is breastfeeding well because they cannot see how much milk they are taking. Watch the videos below to see what an effective feed looks like:

Babies need to breastfeed frequently around eight to twelve times in 24 hours. It is normal for them to feed during the night. For information about feeding your baby at night, please download this leaflet(opens in a new tab).

A small number of breastfeeding mothers experience feelings of depression (or anxiety, homesickness, agitation or anger) beginning immediately before their milk lets down and it may last a few minutes. This is called Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex, or D-MER. This appears to be a physiological response (not a psychological response) that may be tied to a sudden decrease in the brain chemical dopamine immediately before milk let-down.

Many mums experiencing these symptoms find it helpful to visit D-MER.org(opens in a new tab), but you can also contact the Infant Feeding Team on 07816 061633

If your baby is born sick or preterm, your milk is like medicine. We will support you to express your breast milk and can provide you with a breast pump.

For more information on NEC visit SIGNEC(opens in a new tab) and NEC UK(opens in a new tab)

Many new mums think they have a low milk supply, but the majority may not and there are things they can do to help increase it.

• Make sure that the baby is feeding effectively. If feeding is hurting, baby may not be able to transfer milk effectively. Seek help from the ‘where can I get help’ section.
• Breastfeed frequently for as long as your baby is actively feeding. Babies breast feed at least eight to 10 times in 24 hours, sometimes more. It is normal for gaps between feeds to be one-and-a-half to two hours at times and go no longer than three hours between feeds.
• Take a ‘baby moon’. Take two or three days when you do nothing but feed your baby and rest. Avoid extra visitors if you can and get help from those close to you to provide you with support with things like food, house work and answering the phone.
• Offer both breasts at each feed. Let baby finish one side then offer the other breast. Baby may not look interested in another feed at first but many will take milk from the second breast.
• Try ‘switch feeding’. Feed on one side and when baby’s feeding slows down put them on the other breast. When they become sleepy on that side ‘switch’ them back to the other side.
• Avoid teats and dummies. If baby wants to suck let them suckle at your breast.
• Take care of yourself, rest when you can and eat and drink well.
• Consider expressing after feeds or between feeds. This should encourage your breasts to produce more milk. Expressing for two or three minutes after your milk has stopped flowing will help increase your milk supply too.

Partners may not be able to breastfeed but there are lots of other ways they can support mum and baby, like helping with chores, cuddling baby and holding baby, providing food and drink for mum and finding good sources of information and support like the ones found on these pages.

If you are concerned about yourself or a loved one, speak to a health care professional like your midwife, health visitor or GP. You can also find support via: nhs.uk(opens in a new tab) and PANDAS Foundation UK(opens in a new tab).

For information on maternal mental health and breastfeeding click here(opens in a new tab).

You may have had a painful experience or spoken to people who have. With the right support breastfeeding should be comfortable and should not hurt. This film clip will help show you how a baby breastfeeds so that it is comfortable:

Visit https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/(opens in a new tab) for useful information on complications including:

• Thrush
• Mastitis
• Drugs in breast milk

Tongue tie is common in babies but they do not always affect feeding. You can also get information from the NHS website(opens in a new tab).

If you suspect your baby has a tongue tie which is effecting how well they feed, you can speak to the Infant Feeding Team for information.

For most babies, jaundice is mild, harmless and clears up by itself. But it is important that you tell your midwife, or your doctor if you notice that your baby’s skin, the whites of their eyes or the inside of their mouth or gums have a yellow colour. If this happens in the first 24 hours after birth, contact them urgently. This could be a sign of another medical problem.

If your baby is more than 24 hours old, contact them on the same day that you notice the change in colour. You should also tell your midwife or on-call midwife or doctor if your baby passes pale, chalky coloured stools or dark urine that stains the nappy. Follow the link for more information about jaundice, click here.(opens in a new tab)