designed by nature, made by mum Essential guide to feeding & caring Please keep for your baby this handy with your maternity Somerset 2017-18 notes NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING Breastfeeding protects against: HELPLINE • Asthma 0300 100 0212 reast cancer Available 9:30am - • B 9:30pm everyday • Coughs and colds • Diabetes What's in this guide... 3 ......... While you are pregnant 4 ......... Why is breastfeeding important? 5 ......... List of things to bring to hospital 6 ......... Somerset Infant Feeding Policy 7 ......... Skin to Skin 8 ......... How will I know what my baby needs? 9 ......... What can I do if my new baby is reluctant to breastfeed? 10 ...... Breastfeeding Positions 12 ....... Good Attachment 13 ....... How do I know if my baby is attached properly? 14 ....... How will I know my baby is getting enough milk? 15 ....... What is so special about breastmilk? 16 ....... Caring for your baby at night 17 ....... Sharing a bed with your baby 18 ....... Hand expressing 19 ....... How can I increase my breastmilk supply? 20 ....... What if I want to give some formula milk to my breastfed baby? 21 ....... Building happy babies 22 ....... Physical challenges 23 ....... Myths and misconceptions 24 ....... Special circumstances 25 ....... Baby and the family Keep in touch with Real Baby Milk 26 ....... Introducing solid foods WWW realbabymilk.org 27 ....... Returning to work or study facebook.com/realbabymilk 28 ....... The Directory twitter.com/realbabymilk 29 ....... Support Groups 31 ....... Support & Information 32 ....... Public Breastfeeding The content of the Essential Guide is written and reviewed by Helen Shanahan, Midwife and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and Stephanie Heard, Health Visitor. Photographers: Patrick Shanahan, Finola Shanahan, Katy Blake, Henry Davies. Parents and Babies. Cover: Mums and Babies from Somerset. Inside: Lucy, Byron, Milly, Jake & Reuben, Jess & Harvey, Lidwina & Milo, Marianne, Fred & Stan, Alana & Leo, Natasha & Isaac, Tracey & Elijah, Jennifer & Lawrence, Hayley & James, Helen, Nick & Ernie, Jodie, Ross & Jesse, Lauren, Eva & Mya, Pene & Kiri, Bill & Lyra, Helen & Thea, Amelia & Bertie, Angela & Georgia, Milo & Amelie, Stephen & baby, Hannah, Marianne & Fred, Caroline & Elliott, Liz & Jennifer, Jen & Owen, Karen & Joel, Stock Photos, istockphoto.com, 123FR.com Thank you to Kingsley Village. 2017 Edition, Printed February 2017. Real Baby Milk is a project of Pollenn CIC 2 realbabymilk.org facebook.com/realbabymilk While you things to consider about caring for and are pregnant feeding your baby Bonding with your baby starts from the moment you find out you are pregnant. Learn about how your baby is growing and developing! Your amazing baby At 20 weeks, your baby is becoming more active, can hear mum’s heartbeat and some noises outside the womb, can swallow and has eyebrows, eyelashes and fingernails. At 24 weeks, your baby has taste buds, fingerprints and footprints, sleeps and wakes regularly, can hear parents’ voices and can be startled by loud noises. At 28 weeks, your baby can open his or her eyes, sense light and dark and is beginning to practice ‘breathing’ movements. By 37 weeks, your baby will be much more mature, kicking, stretching and wriggling and ready to be born within the next month. Talking to your baby as he or she grows inside you helps you get to know each other before your baby is even born. Noticing when your baby moves and touching and stroking your bump all help you to understand the changes your baby is going through and to begin to build your relationship. Your partner and other family members can also talk to your baby and start to get to know them. All these things will help your baby’s brain development so that when they are born, you are all ready to learn and grow together. Ask your midwife or local Children’s Centre about joining in our antenatal classes in your area to find out more! realbabymilk.org facebook.com/realbabymilk 3 Why is breastfeeding important? Breastfeeding is the normal way to feed a baby and your baby’s good health and development depend on breastmilk. The World Health Organisation recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first six months and continued breastfeeding alongside other foods for at least the first two years and beyond. This will give your baby the best start in life. However, any amount of your breastmilk will always be good for your baby’s health and wellbeing. Remember A B C D: Breastfeeding also helps Breastfeeding protects against: protect your baby from: • Asthma P Severe diarrhoea and vomiting • Breast cancer P Chest infections • Coughs and colds P Eczema • Diabetes P Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (cot death) P Ear infections P Obesity Breastfeeding also helps protect you from: P Ovarian cancer P Osteoporosis (weak bones later in life) P Obesity (helps you lose weight) The Dept of Health recommends that all pregnant women take a suitable vitamin supplement, and you may be eligible for free vitamins and help with the cost of food. Ask your midwife or health visitor about the Healthy Start scheme. If you decide not to breastfeed your baby, it is very important that you are given information about preparing and feeding formula milk as safely as possible. Please discuss this with a member of your midwifery or health visiting team who can provide you with the correct information and a leaflet to support this. Remember you can always change your mind! You can also download information about bottle feeding from www.nhs.uk 4 realbabymilk.org facebook.com/realbabymilk Suggestions for things you will find useful to bring with you for the birth: P Maternity notes, birth plan, Essential Guide to Feeding & Caring For Your Baby P Comfy sleep wear and/or stretchy camisoles/ T-shirts/shorts/ tracksuit bottoms P Dressing gown, socks and slippers/flip flops/sandals P Lots of pants, old comfy ones are best! P Maternity pads (or night-time sanitary pads) P 1 or 2 Maternity/nursing bras and a few breastpads P Wash bag, toiletries, lip balm, cosmetics etc P Hairbrush, scrunchies, hairbands etc P Towels, at least 2 P Pillow(s) (more comfy than a hospital one with a plastic liner) P Drinks and snacks for you and your birth partner P Change for vending machines P Camera P Mobile phone and numbers (you can buy credit in some hospitals for the bedside phone/TV/internet if you stay in hospital) P Music/oils/massage tools/water spray/birthing ball if desired P Reading material, writing pad and pen For the baby: P Newborn nappies P Cotton wool roll/pleat/balls (not baby bath, lotion etc, newborn skin is very fragile) P Sleepsuits and vests P Newborn cardigan, hat and socks P Baby blankets P Infant car seat Remember, you DON’T need to bring a dummy. Giving a breastfed baby a dummy, formula milk or water will interfere with breastfeeding and may reduce your breastmilk supply. We recommend that you download the Baby buddy app and ask your midwife about information you can obtain from the Taunton hospital apps and website. realbabymilk.org facebook.com/realbabymilk 5 Parents' Guide to the Breastfeeding Policy We believe that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby, with important benefits for both mother and baby. We therefore encourage and support you to breastfeed your baby. We also support the right of parents to make informed choices about infant feeding and our staff will support you in your decisions. How will we support you? Taunton and Somerset • During your pregnancy you avoid using bottles, NHS Foundation Trust, you will be able to discuss dummies and nipple Yeovil District Hospital NHS breastfeeding individually shields while your baby is Foundation and Somerset with a midwife or health learning to breastfeed as Partnership NHS Foundation visitor. this can confuse your baby Trust aim to: • All our staff have been and interfere with your a) Provide the highest specially trained to milk supply. standard of care to help you breastfeed your • Most babies do not need support expectant and baby. anything other than new mothers and their • A midwife will be available breast milk until they are partners to feed their to explain how to put your six months old. If your baby and build strong baby to the breast and baby needs other food and loving parent- infant to help with feeds in the or drink before they are relationships. This is early days. A health visitor six months old, we will in recognition of the will provide support explain the reason for this. profound importance later on. • We will help you to of early relationships • We will show you how recognise when your baby to future health and to express your milk by is ready for other foods wellbeing, and the hand, and provide written (normally at about six significant contribution information months) and explain how that breastfeeding to help you. these can be introduced. makes to good physical We welcome and emotional health • We recommend that • you hold your new baby breastfeeding on our outcomes for children premises. We will give you and mothers. against your skin soon after birth and keep your information to help you b) Ensuring that all care baby close whenever you breastfeed when you are is mother and family can. We will support you out and about. centred, non-judgemental to manage night feeds. • We will give you details of and mothers’ decisions are breastfeeding helplines supported and respected. • You will be encouraged to feed your baby whenever and support groups, see c) Working together your baby seems to be page 29. across disciplines and hungry. We will show you (This is a guide to the organisations to improve how to tell if your baby is breastfeeding policy.