Information about Infant Feeding

You may already have some thoughts about how you will feed your baby, based on previous experience or what other have told you. However, you do not have to decide until after your baby is born. Breastfeeding provides everything your baby needs to grow and develop. It also helps protect and comfort your baby. Your Midwife will be happy to talk to you about this. Further information can be found at: www.bestbeginning.org.uk. If you decide to use formula milk to feed your baby, your Midwife will give you information about how to hold your baby for feeding and how to make up feeds safely.

Taking time out to being to develop a relationship with your unborn baby will have a positive impact on your baby’s wellbeing and help their brain to grow. You can begin to connect through talking or singing to your baby bump and noticing when your baby has a pattern of movements. It is lovely to include your partner and/or other children too.

New babies have a strong desire to be close to their parents as this will help them to feel secure and loved. When babies feel secure they release a hormone called oxytocin which helps their brain to grow and develop. If you are breastfeeding you can offer your baby your breast when he/she shows sign of wanting to feed, when they just want a cuddle, if you need to fit in a quick feed or if you want to sit down and have a rest. If you choose to bottle feed, your baby will enjoy being held close, and fed by you and your partner rather than by lots of different people.

Holding your baby in skin-to-skin contact soon after birth is the perfect way to say hello. Skin contact will help you both to feel calm, give you time to rest, keep warm and get to know each other. As your baby recognises your voice and smell, they will begin to feel safe and secure. Take time to notice the different stages your baby goes through to get ready for their first feed.

We would like to remind our Maternity Service Users that in line with the Baby Friendly Initiative, our Maternity Infant Feeding Guideline has been updated and we have made changes to our policy in relation to providing formula to Maternity Service Users. If you choose to formula feed your baby, you will need to bring in small pre-packed bottles of a ready-made newborn formula into hospital with you. Please do not bring in powdered formula or the larger bottles/cartons of ready-made formula, as MKUH does not have a milk preparation area, storage for larger bottles or a safe place for you to wash and sterilise reusable bottles. Thank you for your support.

Holding your baby naked against your bare chest straight after birth is very important because it helps calm your baby, keeps them warm, steadies their breathing and gives you time to bond. It also helps get breastfeeding off to a good start. A blanket over both of you will help keep your baby warm. Your midwife will check you and your baby regularly while you are having skin to skin contact and will explain the signs for you and your partner to look out for to ensure your baby remains safe and well. If you have a caesarean section or are separated from the baby after the birth, you can still both benefit from skin to skin as soon as possible. If you choose to bottle feed your baby, you can still give your baby’s first feed whilst in skin contact.