Breastfeeding Tips for Parents

Breast milk is the bespoke food for a human baby. Breastfeeding ensures all the baby’s nutrient needs are met, encourages development, protects the baby’s and mother’s health in the short and long term, and of course supports a close and loving bond to develop between mother and child.

In order to protect breastfeeding, it is important that all those who offer advice to families have accurate and unbiased information about infant feeding, including clear information about infant formula and support for responsive feeding using breast milk substitutes where this is required.

The Institute of Health Visiting is committed to supporting all mothers and works within the WHO Code of marketing of breastmilk substitutes to enable, support and protect breastfeeding and ensure consistent messaging.

To support this consistent approach the iHV does not normally produce breastfeeding or infant feeding resources. However, to support parents with breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic we have produced a special “Parent Tip” with useful advice and details of where you can get support whilst services are being delivered in different ways:

Download iHV Parent Tip - Supporting breastfeeding during COVID-19

For evidence-based advice on breastfeeding we advise you to access the following links to the latest guidance:

National Breastfeeding Helpline

Helpline (9.30am – 9.30pm) – 0300 100 0212 – (run by the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers and the Breastfeeding Network). This line also includes an option for Welsh and Polish language support.