How long do you leave a breastfed baby for, without a feed?
How much time should mothers and babies be given in skin-to-skin contact? All labour wards are busy places and staff often worry that they may not be able to facilitate skin-to-skin contact for as long as the mother wishes or until the baby has breastfed.
How do I create a welcoming atmosphere for breastfeeding? A welcoming atmosphere, assessed at Point 6, is primarily concerned with the attitude that breastfeeding mothers encounter when they enter the facility’s premises.
What is the legal position around breastfeeding in public? The Equality Act 2010 gave explicit protection to breastfeeding mothers, requiring that they should not be discriminated against because they are breastfeeding.
I have heard midwives saying that breastfeeds shouldn’t last longer than 30 minutes? All babies are individuals and are likely to have different needs each time they feed – as do we as adults.
Are the terms 'foremilk' and 'hindmilk' still used? The terms foremilk and hindmilk were used as part of a piece of research a number of years ago that helped define the milk at the start of the feed and the milk at the very end of a feed.
What do I do when a clearly tired mother asks for a formula feed at night? There is no doubt that this is a difficult conversation to have, particularly when everyone is tired and fraught in the middle of the night.
Don't some babies just need formula for their safety and wellbeing? What is important is that the unit has clear, evidence-based guidelines for the management of such babies.
Drugs and breastmilk The issue of what medication is safe to take when breastfeeding can cause concern to both mothers and staff and is potentially a reason why mothers cease to breastfeed earlier that they may have planned.
Engorgement Engorgement means that there is an excessive build up of milk within the breast.
