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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:

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.

  • Breastfeeding Network Bengali/Sylheti Helpline 0300 456 2421
  • Breastfeeding Helpline for Tamil/Telugu/Hindi speakers 0300 330 5469
  • Access to helplines and peer support, groups and web chat.

The Breastfeeding Network


Association of Breastfeeding Mothers


NHS Start4Life – Breastfeeding


La Leche League GB

Breastfeeding support from pregnancy onwards. National 24-hour breastfeeding helpline 0845 1202918.


Baby Buddy app


NCT

NCT Helpline   8am – 12 midnight – 0300 330 0700


Lactation Consultants


First Steps Nutrition


UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative

 

 

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