Breastfeeding support at Nepean Blue Mountains LHD
At Nepean Blue Mountains LHD, you are supported through your breastfeeding journey from antenatal to postnatal.
After your baby arrives you can access support through:
- your midwife
- your child and family health nurse and feeding clinics
- a clinical midwifery consultant in infant feeding
- Nepean Hospital postnatal
- Blue Mountains Hospital maternity
- Lithgow Hospital maternity
- Hawkesbury District Hospital maternity.
Contact your midwife or local hospital to arrange an appointment with a clinic or consultant. Use the Service Directory search below for contact information.
It is important to book into a breastfeeding or antenatal class early in pregnancy as they are very popular and fill fast. Your support person is also welcome to attend.
Find women, maternity and children's health services
Use our Service Directory to find a health service near you.
About breastfeeding
Breastmilk is the natural food for your baby and gives your baby the best start in life!
Breastmilk is easy to digest and contains all the necessary nutrients to help your baby grow. Your breastmilk is the complete food for your baby and your baby won’t need any other food or drink for the first six months of life.
From the age of six months, your infant should begin eating safe and adequate complementary foods, while continuing to breastfeed for up to two years and beyond.
Breastfeeding health benefits for you and your baby
Breast milk helps your baby’s brain development. It also helps protect your baby against a range of infections and illnesses such as:
- asthma
- obesity
- diabetes
- ear and respiratory infections
- gastrointestinal infections
- some childhood cancers
- Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).
Breastfeeding will help you bond with your baby and will help reduce your risk of:
- ovarian cancer
- breast cancer
- osteoporosis.
Learning about breastfeeding can help your confidence. The antenatal period is the best time to learn about breastfeeding. Your midwife or doctor can discuss any questions you may have.
Before your baby arrives you can access support through:
- your midwife
- Nepean Hospital antenatal clinic
- Blue Mountains Hospital maternity
- Lithgow Hospital maternity
- Hawkesbury District Hospital maternity
- a clinical midwifery consultant in infant feeding
Free antenatal breastfeeding sessions are held regularly at Nepean hospital. We recommend you book in by around 28 weeks of pregnancy. Your support person is welcome to attend.
Make a booking through the Antenatal clinic in person or by phone on 02 4734 2373.
Breastfeeding information sessions cover:
- how to breastfeed
- your first breastfeed
- responding to your baby’s feeding cues
- how do I know my baby is getting enough milk
- antenatal expressing
- where to get help if you need it.
For detailed information download the information sheet.
File
Download NBMLHD Antenatal breastfeeding information sessions (PDF 175.01KB)
Recommended videos
- Breastfeeding basics
- Breastfeeding: why it’s good
- Expressing the first milk
- Breast milk changes
- Convenience of breastfeeding
- Breast changes in pregnancy
- Breast changes after pregnancy 1
- Breast changes after pregnancy 2
- Thinking of going to a breastfeeding class?
- Gather the troops
- Maternity bras
- Birth tips 2
Information sheets
After the birth, it is important that your baby is placed skin to skin contact with you for at least one hour or until after the first feed.
Skin to skin contact means that your baby is placed naked on your skin between your breasts with a towel or blanket placed over both of you. This keeps baby warm and if left undisturbed, most babies will make their way to the breast and start feeding.
Your midwife will support you with positioning your baby for skin to skin contact. Your baby’s head should be free to move, and their nose should not be covered.
Skin to skin contact is important for both you and your baby and will help get breastfeeding off to a great start.
Skin to skin contact benefits for your baby include:
- regulates your baby’s heart rate, temperature, and blood sugar
- helps trigger feeding instincts in your baby
- helps calm your baby
- assists with breastfeeding.
Skin to skin benefits for you include:
- release of hormones that are important for breastfeeding
- helping you learn your baby’s feeding cues
- helping you bond with your baby
- reducing the risk of bleeding too much.
Recommended videos
- Breastfeeding in the first hours after birth
- Skin to skin contact
- Importance of skin to skin contact
- Skin to skin contact with mums
- Skin to skin contact with partners
Information sheet
The first hours and days after your baby’s birth are the beginning of new relationship between you and your baby. Like any new relationship, it takes time and practice to feel comfortable with each other and for you to feel comfortable feeding your baby.
If your baby has breastfed well after birth, your baby may not want to feed again for several hours. It is still important to have as much skin to skin contact with your baby in the first 48 hours until they are attaching and feeding well. This provides your baby with easy access to your breasts and lots of opportunity to breastfeed.
In the first few days after birth, your body is producing the first milk, called colostrum. Colostrum is thick, sticky, highly nutritious and helps build a strong immune system.
You may notice your breasts become fuller around days two to four. This is often referred to as your ‘milk coming in’. It’s a sign your milk is transitioning and increasing in amounts. Regular and frequent feeding will help to establish your milk supply.
Learning to recognise your baby’s feeding cues helps you know when your baby is ready to feed. The number of feeds your baby has over the first few days may increase. Your baby may feed 8-12 times in a 24-hour period.
Recommended videos
- Feeding cues
- Breastfeeding basics
- Attaching your baby at the breast
- Attaching – instructional
- Positioning when breastfeeding tips 1
- Positioning when breastfeeding tips 2
- How often do babies breastfeed
- How to tell if my baby is getting enough breast milk
- Baby poo
Information sheets
Breastfeeding is best for all babies, especially those born prematurely or sick.
If your baby is sick or has been born early, your breast milk helps your baby to fight infections and grow. Breast milk also reduces the risk of gut problems such as necrotising enterocolitis.
Recommended video
Information sheet
Your midwife or doctor can answer any questions in the antenatal period. If you’ve had previous breastfeeding issues or have any concerns, we recommend talking to your midwife at your antenatal appointment.
They may suggest our antenatal breastfeeding class or refer you the clinical midwifery consultant in infant feeding for further support.
After you've had your baby, the midwives and nurses on the maternity ward will help you and provide further information about feeding your baby.
Where can I get help after discharge from hospital?
Hospital midwives
Midwives are available to answer questions via phone for up to two weeks after the birth of your baby.
Call the relevant maternity ward on:
- 0408 737 009 for Nepean Hospital
- (02) 4784 6573 for Blue Mountains Hospital
- (02) 4560 5672 for Hawkesbury District Hospital
- 0437 255 207 for Lithgow Hospital.
Midwifery@Home service
Midwifery@Home is a follow up support service provided by Nepean Hospital for you and your baby for the first two weeks after birth.
For detailed information download the information sheet.
File
Download NBMP 054 - Midwifery at Home Service (PDF 171.82KB)Child and Family Health nurses
Child and Family Health nurses provide community-based health services to families with children aged 0-5years. They offer:
- health and development checks
- infant feeding support
- sleeping support
- parent/ carer support
- links to other services.
Child and Family Health nurses offer services at:
- Penrith Community Health Centre
- St Marys Community Health Centre
- St Clair Community Health Centre
- Cranebrook Community Health Centre
- Springwood Community Health Centre
- Katoomba Community Health Centre
- Lithgow Community Health Centre
- Hawkesbury Community Health Centre
For detailed information download the information sheet.
File
Download NBMP-111 Child and family health nurses (PDF 806.19KB)File
Download NBMP-564 Infant Feeding Clinics (PDF 792.71KB)File
Download NBMP-571 Hawkesbury Community Health Services for Children (PDF 270.04KB)Other support services
- Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)
- Raising children network
- Lactation consultants of Australia and New Zealand (LCANZ)
- Mother safe
- Global health media
Recommended videos
Below are additional resources that may be helpful.
Websites
- Centre of Perinatal Excellence (COPE)
- Perinatal Anxiety & Depression Australia (PANDA)
- Beyond Blue
- Lifeline
- Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation (SKAI)
- Safe sleeping
Information sheets
File
NBMP 058 - Breastfeeding and postnatal care (PDF 1.64MB)File
NBMP 308 - Cup feeding (PDF 431.78KB)File
NBMP 307 - Finger feeding (PDF 359.48KB)File
NBMP 109 - Breastfeeding after a scan (PDF 464.2KB)File
NBMP 253 - Using nipple shields (PDF 461.51KB)File
NBMP-034 Breast engorgement (PDF 301.63KB)File
NBMP-469 Relactation (PDF 300.87KB)
Recommended videos
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander information
- Breastfeeding when pregnant
- Breastfeeding multiples
- Breastfeeding at work
- Breastfeeding in public 1
- Breastfeeding in public 2
- Baby wearing
Expressing
- Expressing when pregnant
- Hand expressing instructional 1
- Hand expressing instructional 2
- Hand expressing - first day
- Breast pump options
- Breast pumps
- Using a pump - instructional 1
- Using a pump - instructional 2
- Using a pump - instructional 3
Challenges
- Challenges - trust yourself
- Challenges - tips
- Afraid of cracked nipples?
- Nipple damage - help
- Tongue tie
- Low blood sugar in your baby
- Breastfeeding in the NICU
- Jaundice in your baby
- Can I breastfeed when they have teeth?
- Increasing your milk supply
Top tips
Introducing family foods