Infant feeding
Deciding how to feed your baby is a personal and important choice that parents make for their child. We will support your choice and provide you with as much information as you need, however you feed your baby.
Breastfeeding
The Department of Health (DH) and WHO recommend that babies have nothing other than breastmilk for the first six months of life and then continue breastfeeding with complementary foods for up to two years and beyond. Breastfeeding improves the health of mothers and babies and helps to nurture a close and responsive relationship between mother and child. Your breastmilk will adapt to the changing needs of your developing baby.
Helpful videos
Meeting your baby for the first time
Unicef has produced this helpful video. Skin-to-skin contact as soon as possible after the birth is a special time for mother and baby and is a fantastic opportunity to help them both recover from the birth and to get to know each other through all the senses.
In the first hours after birth
Within the first few hours after birth, most healthy newborns will instinctively move to their mother’s breast and attach on their own. This video and text excerpt by Global Health Media shows early breastfeeding initiation through the journeys of 3 newborns and ways to ensure the success of this vital practice for any new mother and baby.
Positions for breastfeeding
The way a mother holds her baby affects how easy it is for her baby to attach and feed effectively. This video and text excerpt by Global Health Media shows basic points important for any position and then demonstrates several common positions that have worked well for many mothers and babies.
Attaching your baby at the breast
Good attachment will help a baby get more milk and make breastfeeding more comfortable. This video and text excerpt by Global Health Media shows why good attachment is so important to breastfeeding success and what a mother can do to deeply attach her baby to her breast.
Natural breastfeeding, laid back nursing, biological nurturing
Nancy Mohrbacher, Lactation Consultant discusses and demonstrates ‘laid back’, ‘natural’ breastfeeding positions to support breastfeeding in the early days in this video.
If my baby struggles at the breast?
Hand Expression
This video guide by Unicef guides mothers on how to hand express and talks about the times when hand expression might be useful.
Bottle feeding
If you're planning, or need to bottle feed with expressed breast milk or infant formula, the NHS website has some useful information that will help you safely feed your baby; including sterilisation of equipment, making up feeds and responsive bottle feeding.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/bottle-feeding/advice/
If you decide to use infant formula, first infant formula (first milk) should always be the formula you give your baby. You can use it throughout your baby’s first year.
First Steps Nutrition Trust is an independent public health nutrition charity. They provide non-bias, evidence-based resources for health workers and families supporting eating well from pre-conception to five years.
They have a whole section of information on infant milks for parents and carers.
https://www.firststepsnutrition.org/parents-carers
Infant formula and responsive bottle feeding: a guide for parents. UNICEF, Baby Friendly Initiative.
This simple, concise guide provides parents who are bottle feeding with an overview on how to bottle feed safely and responsively.
Local Breastfeeding support - North
The Infant Feeding Team at North deliver regular antenatal breastfeeding classes, please speak with your community midwife for more information.
Online, pre-recorded breastfeeding workshop
Early Nourishment offers free support & activities for parents, caregivers & their children in North Devon & Torridge. They run regular bookable groups, where you can access infant feeding support. They also provide a breast pump hire service.
https://earlynourishment.co.uk/
Social media
We have an ‘infant feeding’ Facebook group, to provide up to date, evidence-based information and resources to help you on your feeding journey, come join us:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/infantfeedingnorthdevon/
https://www.facebook.com/NorthDevonMaternityServices (general information)
Local breastfeeding support - East
Social media
General information https://www.facebook.com/RDEmaternity (also on Instagram and Twitter)
Peer support group - Exeter Babies https://www.exeterbabies.co.uk/breastfeeding/where-to-get-help/
Useful local and national resources
Devon Positive about Breastfeeding Scheme
Find a support group in your area
https://www.devon.gov.uk/positive-about-breastfeeding/support-groups/
The Devon Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP)
The Devon Maternity Voices Partnership (MVP) is an independent NHS working group and co-production forum. Devon MVP consists of staff, volunteers, people who use maternity services and their families, midwives, and doctors. Together they to review and contribute to the development of maternity care in Devon.
https://evolvingcommunities.co.uk/devon-mvp/
https://www.facebook.com/DevonMVP
National Breastfeeding helplines and websites
- National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212
- Association of Breastfeeding Mothers: 0300 330 5453
- La Leche League: 0345 120 2918
- National Childbirth Trust (NCT): 0300 330 0700
The Breastfeeding Network
https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/about-us/
The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
La Leche League
The National Childbirth Trust
For information and advice on safe sleep for your newborn
The Lullaby Trust https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/
All their essential safer sleep information in one video:
Caring for your baby at night
this leaflet offers helpful, practical advice to parents on looking after their sleeping baby both during the day and at night.