Feeding your baby

Local and online support groups and resources, helplines, the Bristol Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme.

How you feed your baby from birth to age 2 is critical to their healthy growth and development.

Breastfeeding has many health benefits for both mother and baby, and skin-to-skin contact can be an important bonding experience.

We know that most mums start out breastfeeding, but some women have difficulties and need support to make sure that breastfeeding is working well for them and their baby.

Some parents also choose to bottle feed using formula or expressed breastmilk. This can be in addition to or instead of breastfeeding.

Local support with feeding your baby

People who can support you if you're breastfeeding, bottle feeding or both include:

• your midwife
• your health visitor
• Children's Centre staff
• peer supporters
• your GP

Any of these professionals can refer you for specialist support if you need it.

Local breastfeeding support groups

• Bristol groups
• South Gloucestershire
• North Somerset

You can go to any of the groups if you're:

• pregnant
• breastfeeding
• feeding your baby any amount of breastmilk

People at the groups can include:

• peer supporters
• breastfeeding counsellors
• Children's Centre staff

Breast pumps

You can hire an electric breast pump directly from the manufacturer.

The specialist feeding service has a small number of electric breast pumps. We loan these to families on a short term basis, and only to those most in need.

If you need to borrow a breast pump from the specialist feeding service, ask your breastfeeding support worker, health visitor or midwife.

Baby hubs at Bristol Children's Centres

You can come to any of the baby hubs at Bristol Children's Centres to meet other parents and chat to a member of the Health Visiting Team. You can get support and information on lots of topics, including feeding your baby.

To find out when baby hubs are running, check the Children's Centre timetables:

• North Bristol
• Central Bristol
• East Bristol
• South Bristol

Bristol Children's Centres Infant Feeding Team

Our trained breastfeeding peer supporters provide a respectful, supportive service. They have lots of experience in helping parents to feed their babies.

Our team can discuss all aspects of feeding your baby. We support parents who live in the following areas of the city:

• Avonmouth and Lawrence Weston
• Brentry and Henbury
• Southmead
• Filwood
• Stockwood
• Hengrove and Whitchurch Park
• Bishopsworth
• Hartcliffe and Withywood

Peer supporters

A peer supporter is usually a mother who has:

• experience of breastfeeding or expressing milk for her baby or babies
• been trained to support other parents

Peer supporters can give you information and help before and after your baby is born. You may meet peer supporters:

• in breastfeeding support groups
• on a local Facebook page
• in an online group

To contact your local peer supporter:

• ask your midwife or health visitor
• visit our Bristol Children's Centres Infant Feeding Team Facebook page.

For more information, email ccinfantfeedingservice@bristol.gov.uk

Film about local breastfeeding support

The Bristol Breastfeeding Community short video shows parents in South Bristol talk about the importance of the support they've had from family, friends, breastfeeding groups and when feeding out and about.

Infant feeding books in Bristol libraries

Bristol libraries have lots of books you can borrow for free on all aspects of infant feeding:

• breastfeeding
• expressing breastmilk
• bottle feeding
• introducing solid food

View the selection of books available here: pdfInfant feeding books in Bristol libraries (pdf, 65 KB)

Online support

Bristol Breastfeeding Mummies: a volunteer-run Facebook group where you can get informal support and encouragement. 

Helplines

National breastfeeding helpline

Phone: 0300 100 0212

Support is also available in Polish and Welsh on this number.

For support in Bengali and Sylheti, call: 0300 456 2421

Lines are open 24 hours, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.

Web chat, social media support and language lines in Welsh, Polish, Bengali and Sylheti are available from 9.30am.

You can also talk online to a breastfeeding counsellor.

Start4Life Breastfeeding

The Start4Life Breastfeeding Friend can answer questions at any time. It's available on: 

• Facebook Messenger
• Amazon Alexa
• Google Assistant

NCT

Support for all parents, however you feed your baby.

Feeding support line: 0300 330 0770 (option 1)

Lines are open from 8am to midnight, 7 days a week.

La Leche League

La Leche League helpline:  0845 120 2918

Lines are open from 8am to 11pm, 7 days a week.

Health Links

Health Links: for people in Bristol who speak English as a second language.

Call: 0117 902 7115 or 07900 264 435

Email: healthlinks@nhs.net

Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.

Languages spoken: Arabic, Bengali, Cantonese, Hindi, Mandarin, Punjabi, Somali, Sylheti, Urdu. Email or call if you need a different language.

Bristol Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme

The Bristol Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme aims to support mothers to breastfeed when they're out and about with their babies.

Hundreds of local venues and services, including cafes, restaurants, buses, visitor attractions and community settings have signed up to the scheme to demonstrate that they're breastfeeding friendly. Look out for the Breastfeeding Welcome logo when you're out and about.

Become a Breastfeeding Welcome venue.

Find breastfeeding friendly venues

Search for Breastfeeding welcome venues online. 

Breastfeeding at study or work

Advice for you to keep breastfeeding

See NHS Breastfeeding and going back to work Go to https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/breastfeeding-and-bottle-feeding/breastfeeding-and-lifestyle/back-to-work/ (opens new window) on how you can keep breastfeeding at study or work.

Advice for employers

The ACAS guide on Accommodating breastfeeding employees in the workplace Go to http://m.acas.org.uk/media/pdf/b/s/Acas-guide-on-accommodating-breastfeeding-in-the-workplace.pdf (opens new window)shows how you can support employees breastfeeding in the workplace.

Family Hubs

Our Bristol family Hubs website has  a wide range of activities and support for families during pregnancy and beyond.