Breastfeeding

No matter how you decide to feed your baby, we will always respect your choices and support you.

We understand that many new parents may feel a little apprehensive and unsure about feeding in the early days and weeks, and value the emotional support and practical guidance the breastfeeding support workers can offer. Our teams make every effort to contact new parents as soon as possible after discharge from hospital, or after a homebirth. 

We have included some advice and guidance on feeding from our teams below.

The NHS England website  also has a comprehensive section on breastfeeding support, advice and information.

Expressing breast milk

Expressing milk is when you take milk from your breasts, so you can either feed it to your baby straight away or store it in the fridge or freezer to feed it to your baby at a later time.

You can express breast milk by hand or with an electric or manual pump, whichever is more comfortable for you.

Before expressing, it’s best to wait until you feel confident breastfeeding. But there may be lots of reasons why you need or choose to express milk including:

Your baby is premature or needs extra help after birth and cannot be with you
You’re returning to work or have to be apart from your baby
Your breasts feel uncomfortably full or have mastitis
Wishing to boost your milk supply
To use with your baby’s first solid foods
This is your preferred method of feeding

Remember, it can take time to learn how to express . Just relax, don’t worry – practice makes perfect!

Storing and using breast milk

After expressing, you can either give the milk straight to your baby or you may wish store it for future use. If you chose to store your breast milk, make sure it is stored in a sterilised container or special milk storage bags. You should also label and date your milk before storing and it is also best to store in small quantities to avoid waste.

Your breast milk can then be kept:

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

Defrosting frozen breast milk

If you have frozen your breast milk, the best way to defrost it is by leaving in in the fridge to thaw out completely. You should not use a microwave to defrost or heat up breast milk as it can cause heat spots – which could burn your baby’s mouth.

If you need defrost the milk quicker, or if your baby prefers to drink milk at room temperature, you can do so by placing the container in a jug of warm water. Remember to check the temperature of the milk before feeding.

Once defrosted, milk should be used straight away, and any used milk discarded as expressed milk can’t be refrozen once thawed.

Breast pump hire

Did you know that families can now hire Ardo Calypso breast pumps from Family Hubs across Worcestershire?

To find out more information or to make an enquiry about hire, please contact your local Family Hub via our 1 simple number: 01905 520 032

Infant feeding groups and support

Drop-in breastfeeding support groups

We run breastfeeding support groups across Worcestershire, providing a welcoming and relaxed space where you can meet other parents and access support. Pregnant women, pregnant people, and their partners, families and friends are also welcome to attend.

There is no need to book, sessions operate on a drop-in basis. If you have any questions or specific accessibility requirements, please contact the team in advance so we can support your visit.

Bromsgrove — Pear Tree Family Hub

Every Wednesday from 10:00am - 11:30am

Kidderminster — Brookside Family Hub

Every Tuesday from 10:00am - 11:30am

Redditch - Holly Tree Family Hub

Every Tuesday from 1:00pm — 2:30pm

Worcester — The Hive

Every Friday from 11:30am - 1:00pm

Antenatal workshops

Mums approaching their third trimester are invited to attend one of our antenatal workshops. This is a stand alone session for families to find out about:

Normal new born behaviour
Health benefits of colostrum and breastmilk
Getting breastfeeding off to a good start
Evidence based information re formula
Responsive bottle feeding
Expressing breastmilk
Hands on practice of position and attachment

These workshops are facilitated at Family Hubs across Worcestershire and virtually on Microsoft Teams. To find out more information and book a place, please email whcnhs.infantfeeding@nhs.net with your name, date of birth, expected due date and home postcode.

For more information about our groups, please ask your Health Visitor, Breastfeeding Support Worker or Community Nursery Nurse, alternatively, contact the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212.

Useful contacts

For individual breastfeeding support until your baby is 6-8 weeks old, please email us: whcnhs.infantfeeding@nhs.net
If your baby is over 8 weeks old, you can access support at your local Breast Buddies group or NCT breastfeeding group.
You can also ask a member of the Health Visiting team for support by calling 01905 520032.
Worcestershire Infant Feeding Team — Facebook
Worcestershire Infant Feeding Team — Instagram
Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust - Breastfeeding support

National support and helplines

The NHS England website has a comprehensive section on breastfeeding support, advice and information.
The National Breastfeeding Helpline — phone 0300 100 0212 (9:30am-9:30pm)
National Childbirth Trust (NCT) — Phone 0300 330 0700 (8am-midnight)
La Leche helpline — Phone 0345 120 2918 (8am-11pm)
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (ABM) — Phone 0300 330 5453 (9:30am-9:30pm)