Service Details
For Patients:
- breastfeeding support
- breastfeeding education for wāhine and any whānau supporting.
- flexible appointment options to suit the client: home visits or phone/text/virtual
- Coast-wide (Buller, Grey, & Westland)
For Clinicians:
- Education:
- breastfeeding basics- complex situations
- baby-friendly workplace support for your practice
- Advice and resource support for patients.
Eligibility
- any stage of breastfeeding
- any kind of breast milk feeding (breast, bottle, mixed)
Referral Pathways
- Referral from General Practice - via Te Pokapū: Breastfeeding Referral
or
- Self-Referral via West Coast Health main page: linked here
Peer Support
- Mum4Mum peer supporters are local volunteers with breastfeeding experience. They have completed training to increase their breastfeeding knowledge to help support others in their breastfeeding journey.
Recommended actions when you see breastfeeding mothers:
- Ask them how breastfeeding is going; do they feel they need any extra support or guidance?
Ø Are they experiencing any pain or discomfort while feeding?
Ø How are they feeling about their milk supply?
Ø Are they gaining more confidence with reading baby’s cues?
- Ensure those who want to breastfeed are supported to continue.
- Reason for referral may include (but not limited to):
- difficulty with breastfeeding
- nipple pain/latching discomfort
- sore breast/mastitis
- any concerns with milk production (low or over supply)
- slow infant weight gains
- breast refusal or unsettled feeding
- trouble reading baby’s cues
- need for breastfeeding education
- questions about pumping/bottle feeding the breastfed baby
- weaning support
Key Breastfeeding Messages for Health Professionals
1. Recommendation: exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life. At 6 months of age, introduction of solid foods together with continued breastfeeding up to 2 years of age or beyond. (See: Healthy Eating Guidelines for New Zealand Babies and Toddlers)
2. Importance of Breastfeeding: breastfeeding is about much more than just nutrition. Breastmilk contains antibodies that matures the gut and helps baby fight off viruses, bacteria, and infection. Breastfeeding also provides many short- and long-term health benefits for both mother and baby. (See: UNICEF Benefits of Breastfeeding & WHO Long-term Effects of Breastfeeding)
3. Comfortable Latch & Positioning is one of the most important foundations for successful breastfeeding. Accessing early breastfeeding support to spend time working through any pain or feeding difficulties can reduce the risk of many complications down the track.
4. Milk Supply- perceived low supply is far more common than actual low supply, or supply that cannot be increased by frequent feeding. Responsive feeding follows baby’s lead and has better outcomes for supply, infant growth, and relationship building.
5. Mastitis Protocol Update- a sore breast is usually inflammation rather than infection. First treatment is cool compress, responsive breastfeeding, and anti-inflammatory medication as needed. (see: Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine Clinical Protocol #36: The Mastitis Spectrum, Revised 2022)
