Breastfeeding has long-term health benefits for both you and baby. Breast milk is natural and provides nutrition and protection for your baby, helping your baby to grow and develop. Your breast milk is unique to you and is constantly changing to meet all your baby’s particular needs.
Breast feeding is a skill that both you and your baby need to learn. This can sometimes take a little time to perfect. The key to effective breast feeding is ensuring correct position and attachment of baby at the breast. Have a look at your ‘Off to a good start’ book, view the attachment video on the Unicef BFI website and speak to your midwife.
We recommend that you breast feed your baby responsively which means you respond to your baby’s feeding cues, as well as you own desire to feed baby. Feeding responsively recognises that feeds are not just for nutrition, but also for love, comfort and reassurance between you and your baby.
Expressing
It can be useful to know how to hand express if you are breast feeding. Expressing can help tempt baby to feed and soften your breast if feeling full. How to hand express is demonstrated in your Off to a good start book. You can also view a video on the Unicef BFI website.
Breast milk storage
If you wish to express breast milk then you need to ensure that you store it correctly. Length of time you can store breast milk is dependent on the temperature of your fridge or freezer. Up to date breast milk storage guidance breast milk and bottle hygiene can be found on the Parent Club website or the Breast Feeding Network website.
Please take the time to read your Off to a good start book and have a feeding conversation with your midwife. If you are unsure on your feeding choice this book has information that is relevant to all babies no matter what you decide.
