Getting started (breastfeeding) 

We believe that breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby and we recognise the important benefits that breastfeeding provides for both you and your child. We therefore encourage you to breastfeed your baby. However we support the right of all parents to make informed choices about infant feeding.

Download our patient information leaflet on breastfeeding

We also have information for those on our wards around breastfeeding.

We can help you to ensure you breastfeed successfully, our staff have been specially trained to help you breastfeed your baby.

• During your pregnancy you can discuss breastfeeding on a one to one basis with your midwife or health visitor who will answer any questions you might have.
• We encourage you to hold your baby in skin to skin contact as soon as possible. This should ideally last for an hour or more and can help with maintaining baby’s temperature and bonding but can also be a good start to breastfeeding. After the baby is born, our staff will support you with this and your first breastfeed.
• A midwife will assist and advise how to hold your baby. It is really important that the correct principles of attachment and positioning are discussed with you so to prevent any problems in the early days of establishment
• We will teach you how to hand express your breast milk and give you written information. Download the Off to the Best Start leaflet.
• We strongly recommend that you keep your baby with you at all times including night-time so that you can respond to your baby’s needs.

We think it is a good idea that your baby is with you at all times. This enables you respond to your babies needs, as well as giving you the opportunity to become more confident with comforting and handling your baby.

It is also enables demand feeding or baby-led and gives you the opportunity to learn baby’s feeding cues. Baby-led feeding is important to ensure baby feeds when they want to so they take what they want when they want it. In the first few days this is very often, as your baby is settling up the milk production for the next 6 months.

Feeding cues are how the baby “asks” for a feed. The baby will do this by rooting, licking or sucking fingers, wriggling and restlessness. We will give you advice on how to recognise that baby is feeding correctly. Good signs to look for are that baby is having wet and dirty nappies as colostrum (the first breastmilk) has a laxative effect so will help clear the babies gut by making it easier for the baby to pass the meconium (first stool).

• We will give you advice about bed sharing and caring for your baby at night
• We strongly recommend that you avoid using dummies, teats and bottles during the establishment of breastfeeding as this can make it more difficult for the baby to successfully attach to the breast. This can also interfere with baby-led/demand feeding and establishing a good milk supply.
• We welcome breastfeeding in all areas of our premises

When you are discharged, you will be given information about support groups within your area. You will also be referred to an infant feeding team, who, along with the community midwifery team can support you with any breastfeeding issues you may have whilst you are at home.

Infant Feeding Team can be reached on 07904 984620.

Coventry City Council are positive about breastfeeding.

Off to the best start

Download the leaflet

Breastfeeding videos - From bump to breastfeeding

Wondering what breastfeeding is really like? How do people breastfeed when they’re out and about? What should you do if breastfeeding hurts? From bump to breastfeeding is a series of films from Best Beginnings that follow four mums who decide to breastfeed.  The clips will tell you everything you ever wanted to know about breastfeeding and how to do it successfully.

Watch the films.

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