Your ongoing feeding journey and feeding support
Going home
A community midwife will visit you at home the day after discharge from hospital, between the hours of 08.30 – 16.30. Please stay at home until the midwife has been to visit you. If the midwife has not visited by 4pm, please phone the community midwives office on 01244 365 166.
The infant feeding team will call or text you on your second day home to see if you require any feeding support. If you require ongoing feeding support you can contact the community midwives, who can arrange a home visit with one of our maternity support workers.
You can also contact the Infant Feeding Team on 01244 365 401. For support at night contact cestrian ward on 01244 365 178. You can access maternity services for 28 days after birth.
You will be contacted and offered a visit from the Health Visiting Team 10-14 days following birth. The health visitor will be available for support once you have been discharged from maternity services
Feeding peer support is also offered by Koala Busom Buddies. They are able discuss practical issues such as effective position and attachment, hand expressing and responsive feeding to support mums and their families to continue to breastfeed successfully.
To find out more about the bosom buddies please have a look at their Facebook page:
www.facebook.com/groups/bosombuddieschester/
They also run breastfeeding support groups in the Chester and Ellesmere Port areas.
You can also access support from national breastfeeding helplines:
- National Breastfeeding Helpline – 0300 100 0212
- Association of breastfeeding mothers – 0300 330 5453
- La Leche League – 0345 120 2918
- National Childbirth Trust – 0300 330 0700
When should I seek Support?
You can access support at any time during your feeding journey. After the first few days feeding should be comfortable. Always seek advice if you are experiencing ongoing painful feeding / thrush or mastitis. Also seek support if baby is sleepy, struggling to latch deeply or not feeding effectively, or if you are worried about baby’s weight gain. Also seek support if you have bottle feeding difficulties. No question is a silly question! Always seek support if you have any questions regarding your feeding journey.
Further information
We have compiled a list of useful resources and further information to help on your continuing feeding journey and common difficulties which can arise.
'Start for Life building blocks for a better start in life'. A helpful guide to help you give your baby a healthier start in life
Having a baby who wakes up frequently in the night can be one of the most challenging parts of being a parent. This guide fronm the IFEED Project provides informaion on
how to cope with night feeds.
When you are tired and your baby is wakeful and wanting to feed frequently during the night it can be especially challenging, however Unicef's caring for your baby at night and when sleeping guide has all the information to help you and baby through the night.
The Breastfeeding Network have put together a guide on alcohol and breastfeeding. The leaflet is an excellent source of information and provides further resources too.
Start for Life have a guide for mother's who are looking to return to work whilst still breastfeeding. It also offers information for employees and employers, students and course providers.
Head back to our infant feeding page for further information and resources.