Antenatal breastfeeding advice

Our antenatal breastfeeding advice, tuition and service will help you prepare to breastfeed before the birth of your baby.

Often the realities of breastfeeding are not given the time required during broader antenatal classes. Appropriate antenatal Lactation Consultant input has a significant impact on the success of early establishment of breastfeeding1 and can contribute to its longevity2.

Jane offers an expert tuition consultation for her antenatal clients. It is a tailored teaching session covering:

  • The realities of breastfeeding
  • Antenatal colostrum collection (if indicated) and postnatal expressing/pumping techniques
  • Attainable goals to maximise the success of breastfeeding immediately following delivery
  • An individual feeding plan is created to help new parents navigate breastfeeding in the first 24-48 hours post birth
  • Comprehensive hand out which can be taken to wherever birth occurs
  • Other topics can be explored at the client’s request (e.g. breastfeeding for surrogacy or adoption)
  • The option for a postnatal assessment if required
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Antenatal breastfeeding consultation

Discussion of, and techniques for, antenatal colostrum collection

For some women, particularly those in whose neonates blood sugar control may be a more problematic in the initial post-natal period, this can be an invaluable tool to prepare for the first 24-48 hours post delivery. For example for mothers with gestational diabetes3.

Various NHS hospitals4 encourage antenatal colostrum collection in pregnancies with:

  • Particular maternal drugs (e.g. beta-blocker)
  • Twin/triplet pregnancies
  • Pre-eclampsia
  • Previous difficulty in establishing lactation
  • Small or large for dates babies
  • Known cleft lip/palate
  • Antenatally diagnosed cardiac abnormality
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome
  • Breast hypoplasia
  • Raised body mass index (BMI)
  • A plan to give birth by elective Caesarean section
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References

The following evidence is cited in the consultation advice above:

1. Cochrane. Lumbiganon P, Martis R, Laopaiboon M, Festin MR, Ho JJ, Hakimi M. Antenatal breastfeeding education for increasing breastfeeding duration. Cochrane Database Syst. Rev., 9 (2012), Article CD006425.  doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD006425.pub4

2. WHO. Williumsen, J. Breastfeeding education for increased breastfeeding duration. Biological, behavioural and contextual rationale.  e-Library of Evidence for Nutrition Actions (eLENA). Geneva: World Health Organisation; (2013). Available at:  https://www.who.int/elena/titles/breastfeeding_education/en/ [Accessed 23rd November 2019]

3. Forster D, Moorhead A, Jacobs S et al. Advising women with diabetes in pregnancy to express breastmilk in late pregnancy (Diabetes and Antenatal Milk Expressing [DAME]): a multicentre, unblinded, randomised controlled trial. Lancet (2017) 389.10085: 2204-2213. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)31373-9

4. https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/baby/breastfeeding/extra-help-and-support/ [Accessed 23rd November 2019]