Infant Feeding Support

Infant Feeding Support

There are many sources of support for infant feeding available across Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucestershire. 

Who's who:

• Peer Supporters – women who volunteer to support others at the peer support breastfeeding groups, and receive training to do so.
• Breastfeeding Counsellors – more extensive training, average 2 years, volunteer/paid roles within support groups.
• Children’s Centres - parenting & early years support, host most of the breastfeeding groups.
• International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) – extensive training including examination & recertification. Midwives and health visitors in specialist infant feeding teams, and some private providers.
• Community midwives – provide care in the community for babies up to 10 days old then transfer care to health visitors unless there are ongoing problems including, can continue to see babies up to 28 days old.
• Specialist Infant Feeding Midwife Teams including Tongue Tie clinic – for babies with feeding problems not improved by community support or who need tongue tie assessment.
• Health Visitors – provide care for babies from 10 days old, run the baby hubs for support and weights.
• Infant Feeding Specialist Service (Health Visitors) - for babies with feeding problems not improved by community support.

Local Support (BNSSG wide)

Breastfeeding Peer Support

Breastfeeding Peer Support groups are supportive drop in groups for women and their babies. They are run by skilled Peer Supporters who have been trained in breastfeeding support and groups run across BNSSG.

The infant feeding page of the health visiting website has links to a list of the breastfeeding groups in each local authority area.  

Health Visiting: Infant Feeding – Children and Young People’s Services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

The Bristol City Council website page, Breastfeeding in Bristol has information on Local Breastfeeding Support Groups in Bristol and also links to resources available in North Somerset and South Glos. There are also links to patient information leaflets.

Black Mothers Matter also provide a 1:1 online support service with a NCT-trained breastfeeding supporter for Black and Mixed Black women, see the Breastfeeding Support section of their website.

Facebook pages & groups 

• Bristol Breastfeeding Facebook page
• Bristol Breastfeeding Mummies Facebook group
• Bristol Breastfeeding Toddlers Facebook group

Baby Hubs

Baby hubs are Health Visitor led drop ins where parents can get support for feeding and caring for their baby, however they are feeding.

There are 40 baby hubs across BNSSG and families can attend any of them in any area. A list of baby hubs is on the Health Visiting page of the Sirona website:

Health Visiting Service – Children and Young People’s Services (sirona-cic.org.uk)

Local Support (Bristol)

Peer Support groups

These run all across Bristol, see the Bristol City Council website Breastfeeding in Bristol for up-to-date times and locations. The peer support service can also be emailed at bristolbreastfeeding@bristol.gov.uk

1:1 Peer Support

The Children’s Centres Infant Feeding Team is funded by Public Health to reduce inequality by improving breastfeeding rates in areas of deprivation. Although breastfeeding rates across Bristol are high, there are much lower rates in the more deprived wards of the city.

The service offers 1:1 support to all families in the following areas, regardless of feeding intention, and should be offered as part of their normal maternity care:

Hartcliffe & Withywood; Bishopsworth; Hengrove & Whitchurch Park; Stockwood; Filwood (Knowle West); Southmead; Brentry & Henbury; Avonmouth & Lawrence Weston.

It is an antenatal and postnatal offer, supporting with a person-centred approach. The antenatal offer at 34 – 38 weeks is a conversation about infant feeding, in person, or telephone conversation and this might be followed up with information for families to read in their own time if useful.  The post-natal support is proactive with regular check-ins to see how the feeding is going for 3 – 6 weeks after birth.

Referrals mainly from community midwifery but Primary Care can refer using this form and patients themselves can refer by emailing ccinfantfeedingservice@bristol.gov.uk or using QR codes on posters displayed in the Children’s Centres.

Family Hubs

Offer help, advice and support to all families living in Bristol, antenatally and up to age 19 (25 for SEND), including feeding. Family Hubs navigators are available to help find the right support. See https://www.bristol.gov.uk/bristol-family-hubs for more info.

Local Support (North Somerset)

Breastfeeding Support Groups

Friendly & welcoming groups run by peer supporters via North Somerset Children’s Centres Breastfeeding support groups | Better Health North Somerset (betterhealthns.co.uk)​​

Website Resources

Information about feeding and caring for babies​ Infant Feeding | Better Health North Somerset (betterhealthns.co.uk)

Contact: breastfeedingwelcome@n-somerset.gov.uk or 01275 888202

The North Somerset Council website, Breastfeeding, also has information on local support groups and services in North Somerset.

Local Support (South Glos)

In South Gloucestershire, Barnardo’s co-ordinates the breastfeeding support service which is commissioned by South Gloucestershire Council Public Health. The service gives support for women in South Gloucestershire at regular groups. Their website has more information - Breastfeeding South Glos.

Community Midwifery & Health Visiting Support

Women with babies less than 10 days old receive breastfeeding support from their Community Midwives, and have access to postnatal advice from the hospitals in which they birthed, until day 28 postnatal

• St Michael’s Central Delivery Suite: 0117 342 5213
• Southmead 24/7 postnatal advice line: 0117 414 5148

Any problems not resolved with community midwifery or peer support can be referred to the Specialist Infant Feeding Midwife Teams – see below.

At 10 days old babies are handed over to the community Health Visiting Service, see the Health Visiting Remedy page.

Specialist Infant Feeding Services

Midwifery - Specialist Infant Feeding Midwife Teams

UHBW

Women can be referred antenatally and with babies up to 28 days postnatal for feeding concerns.

Refer by email to InfantFeedingAndNurtureTeam@uhbw.nhs.uk.

Please see the Tongue Tie Remedy page if an assessment of tongue function is needed.

NBT

Women can be referred antenatally and with babies up to 12 weeks for feeding concerns and tongue tie management.

Refer by email to infantfeedingteam@nbt.nhs.uk.

Please see the Tongue Tie Remedy page if an assessment of tongue function is needed.

Health Visiting – Sirona Infant Feeding specialist service:

The teams offer antenatal and postnatal support for any feeding related challenges –including understanding infant communication and behaviour, feeding relationships, crying and regurgitation.   

Referrals for both breastfed and / or bottle fed babies are welcomed and can be made by completing Sirona Infant Feeding specialist service referral form (available in EMIS by searching 'infant feeding' Send via email to the relevant team.

The service aim to contact families within 3 working days of receiving the referral.

• Bristol Infant Feeding Team: sirona.bristolinfantfeeding@nhs.net
• North Somerset Infant Feeding Team: sirona.northsominfantfeeding@nhs.net
• South Glos Infant Feeding Team: sirona.southglosinfantfeeding@nhs.net

Other Resources

Other resources

National Support: 

The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers (https://abm.me.uk/) - breastfeeding counsellor telephone helpline (0300 330 5453) and written information.

The Breastfeeding Network (https://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/) - runs the national breastfeeding helpline (0300 100 0212) and written information.

The La Leche League GB (https://www.laleche.org.uk/) which runs a telephone helpline (0345 120 2918), provides online help, runs local meetings, and provides written information.

The National Childbirth Trust (https://www.nct.org.uk/) which runs a telephone helpline including breastfeeding support (0300 330 0700), runs antenatal courses, and provides written information.

The National Breast Feeding Helpline: 0300 100 0212. is open 24/7, every day of the year.

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