Getting prepared
Breastfeeding is a skill that you and your baby will learn together. Understanding how breastfeeding works can help you achieve your goals. Having a plan and reliable information can help you prepare for any challenges you might face.
You can speak to your midwife or health visitor if you are worried or have any concerns.
Getting to know the basics
Breastfeeding takes practice. It takes time to work out what works for you. Get to know the basics on the Start4Life website.
Learning to latch
Understanding how breastfeeding works can help you find the best position for you and your baby. This will allow you to feed comfortably and effectively.
Understanding the challenges
Lots of parents face similar challenges whilst breastfeeding.
This video by UNICEF covers some of the main challenges and advice about how to overcome them.
Staying healthy
Breastfeeding shouldn’t mean that you have to completely change what you eat and drink. You don’t need to eat anything special. And there aren’t lots of things you need to avoid. You should aim for a healthy and balanced diet – just the same as any non-breastfeeding person.
Plan for what’s next
For many parents, breastfeeding and expressing are skills they learn together with their baby. Almost everyone experiences challenges to start with. However, with the right support, it will get easier over time. Research shows us that the same or similar things happen to most breastfeeding parents and babies when they are breastfeeding. From milk supply, to discomfort, to teething – find out what to expect at key stages of your breastfeeding journey.
Finding support
We want to help every parent in Nottingham get the right support so that they can achieve their breastfeeding goals – whether that’s trying breastfeeding once, or breastfeeding for many months. There is lots of free support available to help you feed your baby.
Where you can get support
Your midwife
Your midwife can give breastfeeding support throughout pregnancy and after your baby is born. They can help you with a breastfeeding plan and help you find extra support.
Your Children’s Public Health 0-19 Nursing Service
Nutrition Peer Support Workers and Specialist Community Public Health Nurses provide free one-to-one breastfeeding support. They can give breastfeeding advice over the phone or face-to-face depending on your need.
Nutrition Peer Support Workers also run free virtual breastfeeding groups for all Nottingham families.
Call between 8:30am and 5pm weekdays.
- Bulwell – 0115 8833450
- Bestwood/Southglade – 0115 8831290
- Aspley/Strelley – 0115 8833355
- Hyson Green/Radford – 0115 8838229
- Sherwood – 0115 8831400
- St Ann’s/Sneinton – 0115 8838620
- Wollaton – 0115 8833130
- Clifton/Meadows – 0115 8836320
Text Health
You can text a Specialist Community Public Health Nurse. They can give confidential advice about breastfeeding and your baby’s health.
Send a text to 07480635002. A Public Health Nurse will aim to reply to your text within one working day.
Other local support
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NUH antenatal classes
Parent Education Midwives run antenatal workshops for parents-to-be, including ‘Infant feeding and early parenting’.
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SSBC Family Mentor Service
If you are pregnant or have a child under 1, you can sign up for a SSBC Family Mentor. They are available for families living in Aspley, Bulwell, St Ann’s, and Hyson Green & Arboretum.
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La Leche League Nottingham
The Nottingham branch of La Leche League has local breastfeeding peer supporters who are trained to give breastfeeding support at every age and stage.
National websites, forums and helplines
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NHS
NHS guidance about what to expect in the first few days of breastfeeding.
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Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
A range of support for breastfeeding parents, as well as their partners or co-parent, family and friends.
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La Leche League UK
Breastfeeding support from pregnancy onwards.
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The National Breastfeeding Helpline
9.30am-9.30pm, 7 days a week. Call 0300 100 0212 A live web-chat is also available on their website.