There is nothing you can do for your child in his/her whole life that will affect them both emotionally and physically as profoundly as breastfeeding. It is also important for your own body and affects a surprising number of health issues. (see Human Milk below)
Just keep scrolling down to find useful links, information and support available. We are a Baby Friendly Accredited Trust, to find out more about this click here.
Online Zoom Breastfeeding Workshops
Please contact the Infant Feed Lead for log in details. Tel: (028) 9056 1339
| 12 January 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 9 February 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 9 March 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 13 April 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 11 May 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 20 July 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID : 885 7936 2934 Passcode: 014211 |
| 10 August 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 14 September 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 12 October 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 9 November 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
| 14 December 2022 11am-1pm | Meeting ID: 824 9421 1936 Passcode: 636556 |
If these dates and times aren’t suitable for you please use this link to avail of a Breastfeeding Workshop kindly shared by Dorset Healthcare that you can watch at your own convenience: dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/breastfeedingcourse
We hope you find the following resources helpful prior to and throughout your breastfeeding journey.
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Human Milk
‘Human Milk, Tailor-Made for Tiny Humans’ is an independent advertising initiative created by a small team of parents, focussing on the composition of human milk and the science of breastfeeding.
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Good Start
This book presents the reasons why mothers and babies benefit from breastfeeding and explains how to breastfeed successfully. It covers issues including how breastfeeding works, positioning and attachment, how to know if breastfeeding is going well, expressing milk, breastfeeding and babies in special care, advice on breastfeeding and bed-sharing, dealing with common problems, fitting breastfeeding into your life, and going back to work.
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Skin to Skin Contact
Research Shows that it is optimal to place new babies Skin-to-Skin with their Mother. Skin-to-Skin babies are warmer and have higher blood sugar, they breathe better and are more awake and able to look at and connect with their mother.
A newborn is familiar with its mother before birth and feels safest on her skin after being born.
There are also other considerations for babies’ well-being. Babies need an attachment environment of people who will be constantly close to them for the first few years of their lives. Compensating for a lack of a primary caregiver can be hard work, but does not doom the baby, as long as the right interventions take place, which might involve speech therapists or occupational therapists, depending on the need.
Video courtesy of UNICEF BFI: https://youtu.be/0vzW9qPz3So
For more information on Skin to skin visit: https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/news-and-research/baby-friendly-research/research-supporting-breastfeeding/skin-to-skin-contact/
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Attaching your Baby to the Breast
Good attachment will help a baby get more milk and make breastfeeding more comfortable. This video shows why good attachment is so important to breastfeeding success and what a mother can do to deeply attach her baby to her breast.
Visit to globalhealthmedia.org for more videos in the series.
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Milk Supply
How to tell if your baby is getting enough milk:
How to increase your milk supply if necessary:
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Breastfeeding Twins and more
For more information on Breastfeeding Twins and more click here.
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Expression and Storage of Breastmilk
This short clip, produced by the Unicef UK Baby Friendly Initiative, provides an overview of hand expression and how to hand express successfully.
Visit www.unicef.org.uk for additional resources.
Click here to find out more about Storage of Expressed Breastmilk.
Click here to learn about Colostrum Harvesting Expressing Breast Milk.
Click here for advice on exclusively expressing Breast Milk.
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Donating to the human milk bank
For more information click here.
Contact
The Human milk Bank
Block G Level 1
South West Acute Hospital
124 Irvinestown Road
Enniskillen
Co.Fermanagh
BT74 6DNPhone: (028) 6862 8333
Email: tmb.swah@westerntrust.hscni.net
To call from Ireland: 04868628333
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Breastfeeding Support
Our Breastfeeding Peer Support Service, BFF, is available to all breastfeeding women; all you have to do is ask your Midwife or Health Visitor to make a referral.
Breastfeeding Peer Support is mother to mother support given by women who have breastfed (or are still breastfeeding) and would like to support other mothers in their breastfeeding journey. It is a texting and/or phone call support service.
All our volunteers have completed a training course and are registered with the South Eastern HSC Trust Volunteer Service.
At present our Breastfeeding Support Groups have been suspended amid the Covid 19 situation. We do however have a lot of other support still available.
ZOOM Breastfeeding Support Groups:
If you are interested in attending a zoom support group in these areas please email the Champion below (depending on the area) with your contact details.
The Champion will then contact you and advise you if and when they are able to set up a group and also will be able to advise you of other support that may be available to you if you fall within the Sure start area. You don’t have to be in the Sure Start area to join the breastfeeding zoom group but do need to be in the area to avail of additional support that may be offered.
Greater Lisburn and Saintfield: contact your health Visitor for details
Surestarts (All breastfeeding mothers welcome):
Breastfeeding Champion contact details for each SureStart as follows –
Ards Sure Start: Paula Mulhall – 028 91819722 – paula.mulhall@setrust.hscni.net
Bangor SureStart: Heidi Brewer – 028 91457248 –bangoreys@brysonsurestart.org
Colin SureStart: Julie Anne Murphy – 028 90601417 – julieanne.murphy@colinsurestart.com
Down SureStart: Laura Sharvin – 028 44613650 – laura.sharvin@setrust.hscni.net
Lisburn SureStart: Leah Kelly – 028 92672292 – lisburnchildhealth@brysonsurestart.org
Every Friday 10.30am-12pm at 9 Market place, Lisburn BT28 1DA.
Contact the breastfeeding champion to find out more details of support groups available in your area.
NCT online Breasfeeding drop-in support via Zoom on Sundays @ 12.30 – 2.30pm
Email: nctbfni@gmail.com or Message: www.facebook.com/nctbfni to be sent a link to be added to the invite list.
La Leche League Ireland; Northern Ireland area
Breastfeeding Support group via Zoom
- Every 2nd and 4th Friday, 9.30-11.30am
- Contact Louise on 07968492012
- Helplines: 02895 818118
- www.facebook.com/lllni
As well as the BFF Service and the zoom groups mentioned above there are other resources available:
- 24 hours support from:
Midwife Led Unit LVH: 02892633534
Midwife Led Unit DPK: 02844616995
Maternity Unit Ulster Hospital: 02890550469 or 02890550403
- National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212 30 am- 9.30pm/ 7 days a week, also on Instagram and Facebook. Webchat service at www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk
- La Leche League: 0345 120 2918 laleche.org.uk, also on Facebook and Instagram
- NCT Helpline: 03003 300771 8am-Midnight 7 days a week
- Lisburn Breastfeeding Support Group Facebook page
- Breastfeeding in Northern Ireland Facebook page
- Drugs and Breastfeeding
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Building a Happy Baby: A Guide for Parents
A useful PDF guide for parents:
Smile, talk, laugh and sing during nappy changing time and make a difference for your baby that will last a lifetime.
- Changing Time is Chatting Time video : https://bit.ly/2keUUnT
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Responsive bottle feeding
We are a Baby Friendly Accredited Trust and therefore support the wellbeing and life chances of all babies, whether breast or bottle fed. Whilst breastfeeding is the best option for babies, and we support mothers who breastfeed, we also aim to support those mothers who have made the informed choice to formula feed. This ensures all babies receive high standards of care and the best possible chance to thrive regardless of feeding type.
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Caring for your baby at night
For more information on caring for your baby at night click here.
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How babies sleep
Learn more about how babies sleep: (This website presents research evidence about biologically normal sleep for human babies)
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Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme
The Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme is an initiative which aims to make it easier for mums to recognise places where they can breastfeed their baby when they are out and about. This scheme is supported by the Public Health Agency (PHA).
Breastfeeding is really important for the health of both mother and baby, yet Northern Ireland has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Europe. While half of all new mums here start breastfeeding, many quickly stop. This is often because they feel there is a lack of support, particularly when they want to feed their baby outside the home.
If local businesses can make it clear that they are supportive of breastfeeding mothers, by displaying their membership of the Breastfeeding Welcome Here Scheme, many new mums will be more confident about breastfeeding and will be likely to continue breastfeeding for longer. This will benefit both their health and their baby’s.
Click here for more information.
- Foreign Language Resources
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Tongue Tie Information
Click here to view our Tongue Tie Family Information leaflet.