Feeding your baby

Breastfeeding

Breast milk has all the nutrients that your baby needs for the first six months. It also helps to protect your baby from lots of infections and other diseases. Every day you breast feed your baby makes a difference to their well-being,

Breastfeeding:

• saves money (formula feeding can cost as much as £45 a month) 
• can make it easier to lose pregnancy weight
• reduces your chance getting breast and ovarian cancer
• reduces your risk of bone fractures and high blood pressure in later life
• creates a strong bond between you and your baby as you spend time so closely together
• helps to protect your baby from infections.

We will support you to breastfeed successfully. It is a skill to learn. In the early days, many people struggle with positioning and have questions about whether their baby is getting enough. Fortunately, there are also lots of resources available to help you.

• Support for parents – Baby Friendly Initiative (unicef)  

Expressing breast milk

Hand expressing is a useful technique to learn, especially if your baby is a little sleepy in the first few days after birth or needs to go to Special Care. You can start hand expressing whilst you are pregnant from 36 weeks. Watch this useful video from Unicef for more information. You can also have a look at our leaflet about hand expressing during pregnancy.

There are lots of different breast pumps available to express breast milk, from day 2 following birth.

You can store breast milk in a sterilised container:

• in the fridge for up to five days at 4C or lower
• for two weeks in the ice compartment of a fridge
• for up to six months in a freezer

Bottle feeding

Formula milk does not provide the same benefits for your baby that breast milk can, such as protection against illness and infection. If you are unable to fully breastfeed, or choose not to, we will provide the support you need to bottle feed as safely as possible.

If you are choosing to bottle feed, please bring in your own starter pack of ready-made infant formula, suitable from birth. We supply disposable sterile bottles and teats. but we don’t supply infant formula in hospital unless it’s needed for a medical reason.

Many new parents aren’t sure how much formula their baby needs and have questions about burping and positioning their baby during a feed. We will help you while you are on the ward and there are lots of resources online to advise you.

• Infant milks for parents & carers — First Steps Nutrition Trust 

How do I know my baby is hungry?

Babies have many ways of letting you know they need food. They only begin to cry to be fed once other signals they have given have not been recognised. Some newborn babies will not have the energy to cry and may just go back to sleep if their feeding signals are ignored. Newborn babies need to feed regularly so look out for signals such as:

• Rapid eye movements seen under closed eyelids
• Flexing of arms while still asleep
• Making sighing noises
• Lip sucking
• Mouth gaping
• Rooting and putting hand to mouth
• Following their hand with gaping mouth
• Waking and making quiet eye contact.

How do I know my baby is getting enough milk?

• After the first two weeks your baby should be gaining weight. (It is normal for babies to lose a little bit of weight after they are first born)
• Your baby has wet and dirty nappies
• Your baby will be content and satisfied after a feed and will come off the breast/bottle on their own.

If you are worried, talk to your midwife or health visitor.

Support groups

• Breastfeeding support – West Sussex
• Breastfeeding support – Brighton & Hove

Postnatal feeding contacts

Our aim is to give you all the help and support you need during your infant feeding journey. Support can be provided by a variety of health professionals including midwives, health visitors or maternity support workers as well as breastfeeding peer supporters too.

Useful resources

Access our padlet with links to lots of useful feeding resources