Lactation Services in the Neonatal Unit

The Lactation Service offers breastfeeding and infant feeding support to families with a baby in the neonatal unit and the NeoHome program. Whatever your infant feeding choice or goals may be, we are here to support you.

The Lactation Service is staffed by credentialed lactation consultants who are all International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs).

During your stay in the neonatal unit, your nurses and midwives can assist you with general breastfeeding advice and can show you how to hand express and use a breast pump to establish your milk supply while separated from your baby.

If you need more support, your nurse or midwife can refer you to the Lactation Consultant.

 How can the Lactation Consultants help you?

 Lactation consultants in the neonatal unit can provide additional breastfeeding advice and support if you are experiencing issues such as:

• baby is not latching at the breast
• sore nipples
• mastitis
• concerns about milk supply
• breastfeeding when baby has a cleft lip or palate
• using specialised breastfeeding aids/devices (such as nipple shields, supply lines, specialised feeding equipment)
• questions about breastfeeding and medications
• other breastfeeding/expressing concerns

Referral to the Lactation Consultant

The Lactation Service usually operates 6.30 am – 3pm Monday-Saturday, but not on public holidays.

If you are worried about your milk supply or breastfeeding, talk with your nurse or midwife first to see if they can help you. If they feel you need extra support, they can put in a referral to the Lactation Consultant.

Alternatively, you can call or text the Lactation Consultants yourself, on 0477 294 757 (please leave a message, including your contact number) and they will get back to you as soon as possible.

Expressing your breast milk for baby

During your stay in the nursey

• If you are planning to breastfeed your baby, you will need to express milk if you are separated from them.
• Make sure you receive your How to express and store your breast milk booklet during your first visit to the neonatal nursery. If you did not receive this booklet, ask your nurse or midwife to provide you with a copy.

Before Discharging from Hospital

• Before you are discharged you will need to consider if you need to buy or hire a pump for use at home.
• Ask your nurse or midwife for a copy of our brochure Breast pumps…hire or buy?. It has useful information to help with making this decision.

Physical Resources in the Neonatal Nursery

There are a number of other resources to help you with breastfeeding/expressing while in the neonatal unit, including:

• Hospital-Grade Electric Pumps for use at your baby’s cot side.
• Single-use Sterile Breast Pump Kits are available in every room, to use when you pump in the nursery. Your nurse can help you locate where they are kept, and can help you with setting-up the kit with the pump.
• Expressing room is a “mothers only” space located near the parent lounge, with seating and breast pumps so you can express your breast milk.
• Printed fact sheets covering several expressing/breastfeeding topics. (See list below)

Online learning

• Hand expressing technique
• Making more breast milk
• How to express and store your breast milk
• Feeding the late preterm and early term baby
• Having challenges with breastfeeding?
• How do I tell if breastfeeding is going well?
• Mastitis
• Nipple shields

Additional breastfeeding peer support

Australian Breastfeeding Association