Should you need urgent health advice please contact your GP or call NHS 111. In an emergency please visit A&E or call 999

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Feeding your baby

You may have heard that breastfeeding your baby is the healthiest choice for your baby and you. Did you know that breastfed babies have fewer:

  • tummy upsets
  • chest infections
  • urinary infections
  • ear infections
  • allergies

They are less likely to develop:

  • diabetes
  • obesity
  • Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

Mothers who have breastfed have reduced rates of:

  • breast cancer
  • ovarian cancer
  • osteoporosis in later life
  • heart disease
  • diabetes following Gestational diabetes.

Feeding your baby is may be a new skill that you need to learn or perhaps is something that you have done before if you have had a child before. Make sure you have the current information around breastfeeding. You can talk about infant feeding with your midwife to prepare for after the birth. The Mothers and Others Guide is a great magazine to remind you about the information the midwife may give you. Do ask for one if you have not had it yet.

Things which may help you prepare for feeding and looking after your baby:

ChatHealth Logo

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called Chat Health. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health nurse (health visitor/school nurse) within 24 hours. Outside of the service working hours, you’ll receive a message back to inform you that your text will be responded to once the line reopens.

Healthy Together Logo

Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust runs the Healthy Together Helpline for parents and carers in Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. The Helpline’s qualified health and administrative professionals offer easy to access, safe and free advice, support and signposting. Calls are answered from 9am – 4.30pm on weekdays, excluding bank holidays. Calls are charged at the same rate as calling a standard landline number.

Should you require urgent health advice in the meantime, please contact your GP, visit an NHS walk-in centre or call NHS 111. For emergencies, dial 999 or visit A&E.

Page last reviewed: 29-01-2025

Next review due: 29-01-2028