Published on: 5 August 2024
Families are taking advantage of local support services such as breastfeeding groups across Derby and a new tongue-tie clinic, to help with breastfeeding difficulties that new families may face with their newborn babies.
Thanks to Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust’s partnership with Derby Family Hubs, the number of breastfeeding groups running each week across the city has doubled in the last year. Newborn babies, up to 8 weeks of age, and their families are now also able to receive support at a new tongue-tie clinic that has been running since May 2024.
Both services are run by Derbyshire Healthcare’s Infant Feeding Team. The breastfeeding groups provide a relaxed environment for new mums to share their advice and be in the company of other parents in need of support. They help to increase Mum’s confidence in feeding their baby whilst providing specialist support when feeding difficulties arise.
The new Tongue-tie clinic provides expert feeding assessment and support alongside assessment and treatment when needed. Previously, families have had to travel to other NHS trusts, wait an extended period for an appointment or seek private appointments for this service.
Natalie Thompson, Infant Feeding Lead for Derbyshire Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We have received some fantastic feedback since the launch of the tongue-tie clinic as well as our new breastfeeding groups. It is important that we support those in the community to develop a positive outlook on breastfeeding and provide new mums with the support to breastfeed with confidence and ease.
“The Infant Feeding Team work exceptionally hard to provide expert feeding advice and support to families in Derby City, ensuring that babies have the best possible start to life and parents are supported to meet their feeding goals.”
It is World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) this week, an annual campaign celebrating and supporting breastfeeding mums. This year’s theme is ‘Closing the Gap – Breastfeeding Support for all’.
A Health Visitor working within the wider 0-19 service has shared her appreciation for the team’s unwavering support, explaining how these services will help those who have initial difficulties with breastfeeding their newborn babies.
She said: “If I meet a mum who has a problem with breastfeeding their baby, I will refer them to the Infant Feeding Team. I am confident that somebody from the team will contact that mum in the next few working days. A member of the team will offer telephone support, face-to-face support, or support through the breastfeeding groups in the first instance.
“Through this swift support, the mum is more likely to be able to continue breastfeeding with all the health benefits that will provide for both the baby and mum. The team has also more recently started offering a 'tongue-tie' clinic for babies who are having difficulties feeding due to a tongue-tie. This service will significantly speed up the process of resolving tongue-tie problems, and so enable continued breastfeeding, and will also reduce the number of parents who have been paying for this service privately.”
To mark the week, our infant feeding team in the 0-19 services have been working with the Family Hubs in Derby to create a series of new videos, which have been shared on the Derby City Council website. The videos capture personal case studies from the families who have benefitted from the support they received from the infant feeding team and family hubs, and cover topics such as breastfeeding in public, breastfeeding clubs, tips for families, mastitis and perinatal mental health. The videos will be used in staff training and at the antenatal sessions we deliver to expectant parents.
Find out more about breastfeeding support in Derby on the Derbyshire Healthcare website.
