This week is National Breastfeeding Week and the theme this year is ‘Everyone has a part to play in helping mums to breastfeed’.
We can all make it easier for mums to breastfeed, and this week we will be sharing tips on how partners, family members, workplaces, health and education services and communities can support breastfeeding.
Our health visitors across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire provide a great deal of support within the community to help parents to adjust to parenthood and care for their new babies.
If you are having difficulty feeding your baby, we would encourage you to contact your local health visiting team who can arrange a feeding assessment for you. They can offer feeding advice and also refer you to specialist feeding services if required.
There are also breastfeeding support groups across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire which you can attend to meet other local parents, practice feeding in public and speak with a breastfeeding counsellor or peer supporter.
Information about our health visiting teams is available on our website and we also run free webinars for parents on a range of issues including infant feeding and safety at home.
For more support and information on breastfeeding, you can also call the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212. It is open from 9.30am-9.30pm every day.