FRIDAY, 22 JUNE, 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE. PHOTO ATTACHED.

NEW MUM SOPHIE RAMSAY AND NEW DAD THAWN RAMSAY WITH SON PHINN ROBISON RAMSAY (ONE DAY OLD) WITH STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS AT THE INFANT FEEDING CAFE AT NINEWELLS.

National Breastfeeding Week in Tayside

During National Breastfeeding Week (18-22 June), a celebratory infant feeding cafe took place to raise awareness at Ninewells.

The infant feeding cafe is held on Wednesday and Friday mornings in Ward 38 and offers support to families. Mums, dads, babies, siblings and grandparents are invited to pop along for a chat and to meet other families before they are discharged from hospital. The cafe is also open to families whose baby is being cared for in hospital after the mother is discharged.

Breastfeeding advisor Marianne White said, “The group was set up by UNITE, a collaboration between the maternity services and neonatal services working to keep families together by reducing admission to the neonatal unit through increased care practices.

“The cafe has a mixture of antenatal and postnatal mums who are choosing to feed their babies via breast, bottle or expressing. It provides an informal setting for families to ask questions and gain peer and professional support for infant feeding before they are discharged to the community.

“We support all families and ensure that when they are discharged, they are happy and confident in their chosen method of feeding.

“In the community we have midwives and maternity care assistants working with our amazing breastfeeding support workers who continue to support families on their infant feeding journey. In addition to this, we have a wonderful collection of volunteers who work tirelessly both within the hospitals and the communities of Tayside to ensure women have the support they need.”

The breastfeeding team also held an information event for members of the public and staff on the main concourse of Ninewells Hospital. They provided information on the value of breastfeeding for both mum and the baby and the value of breast milk for pre-term and sick babies. Advice was also given about how to know when breastfeeding is going well and signs the baby is receiving enough milk.

Contact:

Lyndsey Daun

NHS Tayside Communications

(01382) 424138