Breastfeeding support

Littleport infant feeding support group
Littleport Child and Family Centre, CB6 1JT
Drop-in session: 1.30pm to 2.30pm

Anglia Ruskin University breastfeeding hub
Drop-in session: 10.30am to 11.30am
See the ARU website (opens in a new tab) for more details.

Health visiting infant feeding team
Face-to-face appointments in Cambourne and St Ives.
Call 0300 029 5050 and choose option 2 to book.

Haverhill Breastfeeding Friends
Old Independent Church Hall, Haverhill
Drop-in session: 10am to 12pm
Find out more on Haverhill Breastfeeding Friends Facebook page (opens in a new tab).

Newmarket Breastfeeding Support Group
The Stable, 65 High Street, Newmarket
Every Wednesday, 10am to 12pm
Find out more on Newmarket Breastfeeding Support Group Facebook page (opens in a new tab).

Health visiting infant feeding team
Face-to-face appointments at the Peacock Centre, Cambridge.
Call 0300 029 5050 and choose option 2 to book.

Cambridge Breastfeeding Alliance
Online support by video call or private message
Available Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, 9am to 12pm
Book an appointment or contact Cambridge Breastfeeding Alliance (opens in a new tab) on Facebook or email Cambridge Breastfeeding Alliance.

In-person appointments:
Ross Street Community Centre, Cambridge
Fridays, 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Cottenham breastfeeding café (NCT)
Drop-in session: 12pm to 2pm
See the Cottenham breastfeeding café (NCT) Facebook page (opens in a new tab) for more details.

Royston and villages baby café (NCT)
Drop-in session: 10am to 12pm
See the Royston and villages baby café (NCT) Facebook page (opens in a new tab) for more details or by email Royston and villages baby café

• Helps you bond with your baby
• Costs less than formula feeding
• Lowers your risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• Reduces your chance of getting type 2 diabetes or high blood pressure
• Reduces your risk of osteoporosis (weakened bones)

• Your breast milk is made just for your baby – it changes as your baby grows or if they are unwell
• Always ready at the right temperature with no need to prepare
• Helps your baby fight off infections and illness
• Lowers the chance of chest infections and diarrhoea
• Reduces the risk of obesity – babies cannot be overfed on breast milk
• Lowers the risk of asthma, eczema, hay fever, and some childhood cancers
• Lowers the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)

These are the first signs your baby is hungry. Try to feed your baby as soon as you see them:

• Licking their lips
• Stirring while asleep
• Sucking on their fists or fingers
• Opening and closing their mouth
• Rooting (turning their head towards your breast or bottle)

Your baby will show stronger signs of hunger and may become fussier. Feed your baby as soon as possible to prevent distress:

• Moving their head more quickly
• Bobbing their head around
• Becoming more vocal and fussy

Your baby is now upset and needs to be comforted before feeding. Signs include:

• Crying
• Agitated body movements

Try calming your baby first with skin-to-skin contact or gentle soothing before attempting to feed.

Checking nappies is a good way to see if your baby is getting enough milk.

When your baby starts feeding, they will suck quickly at first to get the milk flowing. Then they will feed in a slower, rhythmic way, usually with a pattern like suck-suck-swallow or suck-swallow.

You may see your baby’s throat move down and pause briefly. You might also hear swallowing sounds.

Regular pauses during feeding are normal.

If your baby keeps sucking quickly or has long pauses, they may not be getting enough milk. Contact your community health or health visiting team for support.

At the end of the feed, your baby might suckle gently, or their chin may wobble.

When feeding finishes, offer the other breast or side of the chest if you can.

A baby who is feeding well and getting enough milk will:

• Feed at least 8 times in 24 hours
• Be calm while feedinG
• Feed for 5 to 40 minutes
• Come off the breast or chest by themselves
• Have the right number of wet and dirty nappies

A baby who may not be feeding well or getting enough milk might:

• Feed less than 8 times in 24 hours
• Be unsettled while feeding
• Fall asleep before 5 minutes
• Want to feed all the time
• Be sleepy and hard to wake
• Have jaundice
• Not have enough wet or dirty nappies

If you think your baby is not getting enough milk, contact your community team or health visitor.

Useful video

Watch this video for more information: Is your baby getting enough milk? (opens in a new tab)

The acronym CHINS can help you remember the key points for positioning your baby to feed well:

• C – Close
  Your baby needs to be close to you so they can take enough breast or chest into their mouth. Make sure clothes and hands are not in the way.
• H – Head free
  Your baby should tilt their head back to let their chin lead as they latch on. Avoid touching the back of their head as this stops the movement.
• I – Inline
  Your baby’s head and body should be in a straight line so they don’t have to twist their neck. This helps them feed and swallow easily.
• N – Nose to nipple
  Position your nipple just below your baby’s nose. This helps them start rooting. As they tilt their head back, the nipple will move under their top lip to the right place in their mouth.

Laid-back

Lie back in a comfortable semi-reclined position on a sofa or bed. This is also called biological nursing.

Rugby hold / under arm hold

Hold your baby under your arm like a rugby ball. This is a good position if you had a caesarean, as it avoids pressure on your tummy and scar.

Cross cradle

This is the most popular feeding position. If you had a caesarean, this might be uncomfortable because your baby lies across your tummy near your scar. You might prefer the side lying or rugby hold instead.

Side lying

Lie on your side with your baby facing you. This is helpful if you had a caesarean or difficult birth, or if you are feeding during the night.

• Calms and relaxes both you and your baby
• Helps your baby’s heart rate and breathing become steady, making it easier to adjust to life outside the womb
• Stimulates digestion and your baby’s interest in feeding
• Keeps your baby’s temperature steady
• Transfers friendly bacteria from your skin to your baby, which helps protect against infection
• Releases hormones that support breastfeeding, chestfeeding, and mothering

• Improves oxygen levels in your baby
• Lowers stress hormones (cortisol), especially after painful procedures
• Encourages your baby’s readiness to feed
• Supports your baby’s growth
• May help your baby leave hospital sooner
• Increases milk volume if you express milk after skin-to-skin contact. This milk contains up-to-date antibodies

Some parents find it helps to massage their breast or chest before expressing. You can:

• Massage from the outside of the breast towards the nipple
• Use circular motions, gentle strokes with your fingers, or rolling with your knuckles
• Be careful not to drag your skin

How to hand express:

1. Make a ‘C’ shape with your thumb and fingers.
2. Start at the nipple and gently press back 2 to 3 cm towards your chest wall until you feel a change in the breast tissue texture.
3. Once you find that spot, gently squeeze your breast between your thumb and fingers. Repeat in a slow, rhythmic way. Pressing towards your body as you squeeze can help milk flow.
4. Everyone is different — you may need to try different spots to find what works best.
5. Keep expressing for as long as milk flows. When the flow slows, move your fingers slightly around the breast (like moving around a clock face) and express other areas.
6. Try to express all areas of your breast and switch between breasts.

Manual pump

Good for occasional expressing.

Electric pumps

There are two types:

• Hospital-grade pump: Best if baby is not feeding well, you pump only, or you are apart from your baby.
• Standard electric pump: Good if you are combination feeding, express regularly for storage, or want an occasional bottle.

Silicone breast pump with suction chamber

Use with caution. These can increase milk supply too much. They are good for collecting milk from the side your baby is not feeding on, for occasional bottles.

Battery-powered pumps

Good for combination feeding or regular expressing. Watch battery levels—low battery reduces suction and milk flow.

Wear-in pumps

Do not use for long periods. Pressure on one area for too long can cause blocked milk ducts.

• You can store milk at room temperature, in the fridge, or in the freezer.
• Put milk in the fridge or freezer as soon as possible after expressing.

• The best way to thaw frozen milk is in the fridge.
• If milk is still frozen after 12 hours, try freezing in smaller amounts.
• For quicker thawing, defrost under cool water and then warm water. Dry the container before use.
• Never heat milk in the microwave, it heats unevenly and can burn your baby, plus it destroys important nutrients and antibodies.
• Do not refreeze milk once it’s defrosted. Throw away any milk not used within 4 hours of thawing.
• Milk from the fridge does not need warming. If you want to warm it, place the container in warm water, don’t overheat.

Cold water sterilisation uses special chemicals mixed with cold water to kill germs and bacteria. The chemicals come in tablets, concentrated liquids, or ready-to-use solutions. This method lets you sterilise many items at once.

You will need:

• Sterilising chemicals (tablets or liquid)
• Clean, watertight container with a lid
• Clean bottles and feeding equipment
• Floating cover, plunger, or plate (usually comes with the steriliser)

How to do cold water sterilisation:

1. Follow the sterilising chemical manufacturer’s instructions to prepare the solution in your container.
2. Place all bottles and equipment fully under the solution. Make sure no air bubbles are trapped; some items might float and need to be held down with the floating cover or plunger.
3. Leave everything in the solution for the time stated in the instructions. You can leave it longer but never less.
4. Change the sterilising solution every 24 hours.
5. When ready to use, wash your hands, then take the items out immediately before feeding.
6. Shake off extra solution or rinse with cooled, boiled water. Do not rinse with tap water or dry with towels or tissues.

Boiling uses water at over 100 °C to kill germs. It’s a simple method that needs no special equipment but can take longer and may wear out teats faster. This method is good for occasional sterilising or small amounts.

You will need:

• Saucepan with lid
• Water
• Kitchen tongs (keep them clean and only use for sterilising)

How to sterilise by boiling:

1. Check that your feeding items can be boiled (see manufacturer’s instructions).
2. Fill the saucepan with water.
3. Bring the water to a boil.
4. Use kitchen tongs to place the items fully under the boiling water.
5. Cover the saucepan and boil for 10 minutes. Use a timer to remember.
6. Keep the items covered and take them out just before use.

Important: Never leave hot pans or boiling water unattended. Keep your baby away from the stove at all times.

Steam sterilisation uses steam to kill germs. You can use either a microwave steriliser or an electric steam steriliser. Both work quickly and effectively.

Tips for steam sterilisation:

• Place the openings of bottles, teats, and feeding equipment facing down into the steriliser.
• Always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully.

If your baby is having trouble latching deeply or you feel pain, the exaggerated latch may help.

• Use your thumb or finger near the base of your nipple to gently press, so your nipple tilts away from your baby’s mouth.
• When your baby opens wide, tuck your nipple into their mouth using your thumb or finger.
• Your nipple will flip past their top lip and gum, rolling into their mouth.
• This helps your baby get a big mouthful of breast tissue, with your nipple at the back of their mouth for a good latch.

A blocked milk duct can feel like a small, tender lump in your breast or chest. It might also feel like a bruise.

You might get a blocked duct if you are not emptying your breast or chest properly. This can happen if:

• Your baby is not latching well
• You are making too much milk (called oversupply)
• Tight clothes, bra straps, seatbelts, or bag straps press on your breast or chest for a long time
• You are not feeding your baby often enough or are leaving long gaps between feeds

If you get a blocked duct, try to fix it quickly. If you don’t, it could lead to mastitis.

For more about blocked ducts, visit: inflammation of the milk ducts - NCT (opens in a new tab)

Mastitis can happen if a blocked duct is not treated.

You may notice:

• A sore, swollen, hot, and painful area on your breast or chest
• Red patches (these may be hard to see on darker skin)
• Flu-like symptoms such as feeling hot or shivery

If you think you have mastitis, get help quickly.

For more information and advice, see:

• Breastfeeding Network Mastitis Leaflet (opens in a new tab)
• Mastitis - NHS Start for Life (opens in a new tab)

Engorgement is when your breast or chest feels very full, hard, tight, and sometimes painful.

It can happen when your milk first comes in, or if you miss a feed or expressing session.

Engorgement usually settles after a few days as your milk supply matches your baby’s needs.

To help with engorgement:

• Take pain relief if you need it
• Use cold compresses between feeds or expressing sessions

For more help, visit: Breast pain and breastfeeding - NHS (opens in a new tab)

Thrush is a fungal infection that can happen in the breasts.

If you are breastfeeding and your nipples or breasts hurt, thrush might be the cause.

Thrush spreads easily between you and your baby.

It is important to check that pain isn’t caused by poor positioning or attachment first. Ask your GP for a swab test to get the right treatment.

For more information, see: Thrush - NHS Start for Life (opens in a new tab).

Breastfeeding should not be painful.

If feeding hurts, get support from your midwife, health visitor, or breastfeeding support groups.

Painful nipples can be caused by a poor or shallow latch.

Learn how to position your baby better here (link to positioning and attachment page).

Keep feeding your baby often and on demand to avoid blocked ducts or mastitis. If feeding is too painful, express your milk instead.

Sore nipples - Start for Life (opens in a new tab)