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:
- You may want to avoid using drugs which could affect your baby’s ability to breastfeed well (ones that make them sleepy)
- Uninterrupted skin to skin contact after the birth of your baby really does help
- Think about giving a first breastfeed of colostrum even if you are planning to bottle feed. Let us know if you do not want your baby to feed at the breast.
- Read this leaflet on expressing breast milk colostrum for when your baby is born
- Breast milk is the recommended food for all babies, but especially for babies who may be at risk of being poorly at birth
- Expressing and storing colostrum before birth can mean your baby does not need to be given infant formula after birth
- Expressing can help get breastfeeding off to a good start
- Getting familiar with handling your breasts in pregnancy by expressing can help you to feel more comfortable with breastfeeding after your baby is born
- Early weeks are all about you and your baby getting to know each other. If you have decided to bottle feed then it is important for both you and your baby that you and your partner are the only ones to feed your baby
- If you are breastfeeding, you can spend lots of time getting use to feeding and holding your baby so feeding is comfortable
- Can others help around the house and guests put the kettle on themselves or som so you have more time to concentrate on getting feeding off to a good start?
Nottinghamshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust runs a confidential secure text messaging service for parents of children aged 0-19 years called Parentline. The service operates Monday to Friday between 9am and 4.30pm, excluding bank holidays. All texts will be responded to by a public health practitioner 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.
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Parents and carers of children aged 0-19:
text
07520619919
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.
