Breastfeeding Support

For advice and support please contact your Community Midwife or Health Visitor.

See below for other support networks.

Breastfeeding Peer Support (BFF)

Our Breastfeeding Peer Support Service, BFF, is available to all breastfeeding women.

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 on 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.

Our Breastfeeding Peer Support Link Worker (PSLW) will either see you on the postnatal ward in the Ulster Hospital Maternity Unit or she will phone you after discharge home from the unit.

The PSLW will explain what the service offers and ask if you would like to be put in contact with a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter.

If you have your baby in another Trust they will be able to make a referral to our PSLW through their link worker.

If you initially decline the service but change your mind at any stage please contact the Breastfeeding Peer Support Link Worker on 07855 169707.

For more information click here

Specialist Support Teams

Breastfeeding Support Groups (face to face)

Any scheduled Community Breastfeeding Support Groups will not be running Friday 24 January due to the red weather warning in place. For any queries or support please contact and speak with your Midwife or Health Visitor.

Lisburn
Monday mornings 09:30 am to 11am, in Lisburn Library, 23 Linenhall Street, Lisburn, BT28 1FJ.

Friday mornings 10am-12pm, in Lagan Valley Midwife Led Unit, Lagan Valley Hospital (for babies up to 6 weeks).

Saintfield
Thursday mornings 10:30 to 11:30am in 2nd Saintfield Presbyterian, Ballynahinch Road BT24 7AE.

Newcastle/Castlewellan
Tuesday mornings 10:30am to 11:45am in Seaforde Presbyterian Church Hall, Demesne Road, Seaforde, BT30 8PB.

Bangor
1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month 11am to 12:30pm in Marquis Hall, Bangor Castle Park, 5 Abbey Street BT20 4JE.

Newtownards
Wednesday afternoons 1:30pm – 3.30pm in Ards Hospital Maternity Hub (for babies up to 6 weeks).
Friday 10.30am – 11.30am in Ards Hospital Maternity Hub (for babies up to 6 weeks)
Friday 11:30am – 12:30pm in Ards Hospital Maternity Hub (for all babies)

Hillsborough New Parent Group: Hillsborough Village Centre weekly on Thursday mornings 11:30 to 12:30.

Maghaberry New Parent Group: Maghaberry Community Centre weekly on Monday mornings 10:00 to 11:00.

Both groups are facilitated by health visiting and provide support/advice on all types of infant feeding and other issues.

SureStarts Breastfeeding Support Groups:
(All breastfeeding mothers welcome)

Kircubbin
Every 2nd & 4th Monday of each month, 10am-11am, in Maxwells Courtyard, 35 Main Street Kircubbin, BT22 2SR

Colin
Every Wednesday morning 10.30am-12pm at Colin Family Centre, Pembroke Road, Dunmurry, BT17 0PH.

Downpatrick
2nd and 4th Thursday of the month 1pm to 2pm in Down Sure Start, 5-7 Mount Crescent, Downpatrick, BT30 6AF.

NB: from Monday the 11th November the Down Sure Start group will be Monday’s 9.30-10.30 at Fountain Street Church Hall.

Breastfeeding Champion contact details for each Sure Start are as follows

Ards Sure Start: Janine McMenamin – 07977503996 – Janine.McMenamin@setrust.hscni.net

Bangor Sure Start: Hannah Kerr – 07887342254 – hannah.kerr@brysonsurestart.org

Colin Sure Start: Julie Anne Murphy – 028 90601417 – julieanne.murphy@colinsurestart.com

Down Sure Start: Laura Sharvin – 028 44613650 – laura.sharvin@setrust.hscni.net

Lisburn Sure Start: Lena Kelly – 028 92672292 – lena.kelly@brysonsurestart.org

If you live outside the Trust area click on the link below. Scroll down to the interactive map, enter your postcode and click on the Breastfeeding support group icon.

Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme

ZOOM Support

Helplines

Maternity Unit Ulster Hospital: 02890550469 or 02890550403 (24hrs/7 days a week)

Midwife Led Unit LVH: 02892633534 (Monday –Friday 8am-8pm, Weekends and Bank Holidays 8am-5pm)

Midwife Led Unit DPK: 02844616995 (Monday –Friday 8am-8pm, Weekends and Bank Holidays 8am-5pm)

National Breastfeeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212 30 am- 24hrs/7 days a week, also on Instagram and Facebook. (A call to an 0300 number costs the same as a call to a normal home or business landline. If your phone includes free calls to landlines, calls to 0300 numbers will be part of this)

Webchat service at www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk

NCT Helpline: 0300 330 0700 (option 1) 8am-Midnight 7 days a week

Social Media Support

Lisburn Breastfeeding Support Group Facebook page: Lisburn breastfeeding support group

Breastfeeding in Northern Ireland Facebook page: https://m.facebook.com/BreastfeedinginNI

National Childbirth Trust: NCT NI Facebook page : https://m.facebook.com/NCTBFNI

National Childbirth Trust Instagram: NCT Breastfeeding Support NI (@nctbreastfeedingsupportni) • Instagram photos and videos

La Leche League Ireland-Northern Ireland Facebook: La Leche League Ireland – Northern Ireland Support Groups | Carrickfergus | Facebook

or La Leche League Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lalecheleagueni?igsh=cm4zMzltcm51Y3Zp

Online resources and videos

Breastfeeding in public

Currently Breastfeeding mothers in Northern Ireland are protected by sex discrimination laws that prohibit anyone from treating a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding.

For new parents, taking a baby out in public for the first time is a big event. This can be made more difficult when a mother breastfeeds in public and finds opposition or criticism.

The “Breastfeeding Welcome Here” Scheme is an initiative which aims to accommodate and support families who wish to breastfeed while out and about. A business will display the logo in their window so it’s very clear and welcoming to Breastfeeding families.

Click on the link below and scroll down to the interactive map. Put in your postcode and you will find a list of local businesses, café’s restaurants who have signed up to the scheme’

Breastfeeding welcome here scheme – parents | Breastfed Babies

Family and how to Support mums

Becoming new parents can seem overwhelming and for a new mum learning a new skill like breastfeeding can add to this. Even experienced mothers can have difficulties juggling the needs of a new baby with older children.

At this time practical support is the best support you can give as the new mother recovers from the birth, adapts and takes the time to establish breastfeeding. Initially the baby will want to feed often when they are awake and the mother may only manage to eat, sleep and feed the baby. This is normal and important to help establish a good milk supply. Click on the leaflets below to see how you can help to support the new mum in your life.

Information for Partners:

https://setrust.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/What-Dads-Should-Know-About-Breastfeeding.pdf

Information for grandparents (can also be useful for friends and other relatives):

https://setrust.hscni.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Grandparents-Guide-to-Breastfeeding.pdf

Check out these short videos developed by the Public Health Agency (PHA) about Supporting mums

PHA YouTube channel.