Royal Surrey’s Infant Feeding Team reaches out to working mums on World Breastfeeding Week | News

On World Breastfeeding Week, Royal Surrey’s Infant Feeding Team is raising awareness of the support they offer from birth and beyond.

World Breastfeeding Week is an international campaign running every year from 1-7 August to promote the benefits of breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.

This year’s theme focuses on enabling breastfeeding for working parents because the challenge of feeding in the workplace is the most common barrier for women to never breastfeed or to stop earlier than recommended.

Royal Surrey’s Infant Feeding Team helps parents to choose whether breastfeeding is right for them, offering guidance and support from early pregnancy through to the first few months after birth.

They are passionate about giving advice, and practical help to new families with all aspects of feeding which may include how best to navigate the return to work and continue breastfeeding.

The team achieves high rates of success for those who choose to breastfeed, with the latest figures showing 93% of babies born at Royal Surrey have colostrum for their first feed or are breastfed.

Beyond birth, the team offers the following services:

• Free virtual feeding workshops.
• Specialist referral clinics in the first few weeks for feeding issues such as tongue-tie.
• Support with breastfeeding whilst under midwifery care.
• Drop-in sessions in Guildford for babies up to 2 months old and Headley for babies under one month.
• A face-to-face service with Infant Feeding Lead can be organised antenatally to discuss any concerns, including how to keep breastfeeding when you return to work.

Kate Rosati, Infant feeding Lead Specialist Midwife, said:

“At the Royal Surrey, we recognise the benefits to babies of breastfeeding or receiving any breastmilk. We work closely with parents to support their chosen method of feeding and give unbiased information to allow parents to make informed choices.

“The giving of any colostrum is to be celebrated and has many health benefits both to mother and baby, however, we recognise the choice of how to feed a baby is complex and is influenced by many factors. My passion is to give the information allowing the family to make the right choice for them.

“I am extremely proud of the feeding support offered by the Royal Surrey and if any working mums have concerns about how to approach breastfeeding in the workplace, we are here to guide them.”

You can speak to the Infant Feeding Team from Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm, 01483 571122 extension 4702, or visit their web page for more information.