Maternity
Introduction
During your pregnancy, you will be given the opportunity to discuss your thoughts about feeding your baby with your health professional. This usually starts at the booking visit and continues throughout your pregnancy. This is to ensure you have all the information you need before deciding how you will feed your baby.
I have diabetes, can I breastfeed my baby?
If you take metformin tablets for diabetes, you can breastfeed your baby.
If you use insulin for diabetes, you can breastfeed your baby as insulin does not pass into the breastmilk. However:
Why is breastfeeding important?
It is recommended that you exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first six months (only give them breast milk), then continue alongside complementary foods for up to two years and beyond. (WHO 2003)
“As a global public health recommendation, infants should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life to achieve optimal growth, development, and health. Thereafter, to meet their evolving nutritional requirements, infants should receive nutritionally adequate and safe complementary foods while breastfeeding continues for up to two years of age or beyond.”
(WHO 2003 p7-8)
Breastfeeding provides many health benefits, and it helps you and your baby to build a strong bond. Exclusive breastfeeding gives the maximum benefits to mother and baby.
Benefits to baby
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of:
Benefits to mother
Breastfeeding reduces the risk of:
Other benefits:
Skin-to-skin contact
Having skin-to-skin contact with your baby and responsive feeding can mean that breastfeeding is likely to be more successful and continue for longer. Skin-to-skin contact can help to keep your baby calm and maintain their temperature.
What about after the birth of my baby?
It is normal for all babies to have a drop in their blood glucose in the first hours after birth. To help maintain normal blood glucose levels for your baby, it is recommended that you breastfeed within the first hour of birth.
During this feed, your baby will receive colostrum, this is a very valuable source of nutrition for your baby.
Your baby’s first blood glucose level will be checked when they are 2-4 hours old. We do this by taking a small sample of blood from your baby’s heel. We will give you a result straight away. This check will be performed before each feed, until your baby’s glucose level has been normal two times in a row. You should offer your baby a feed at least every three hours during the first 24 hours and respond to your baby’s feeding cues.
Sometimes your baby needs to have extra calories, and we will advise you to hand express some milk as well as breastfeeding. Hand expressing is a skill that will be taught to you before you give birth by a health professional. It is a way of using your hands to obtain some breast milk to give to your baby.
If your baby does not breastfeed, and you are unable to express any breast milk, your health professional may advise you to give your baby some formula milk.
After 24 hours, your baby’s blood glucose level is unlikely to drop. However, if the levels are persistently low, your baby may need to go into the neonatal unit. Staff there will continue to encourage you and your baby to breastfeed and/or give your baby any breastmilk you have expressed.
How do I express milk by hand?
If you have decided to breastfeed, or want to give your baby breast milk, you can hand express and collect your milk. Hand expression can be started from 36 weeks of pregnancy and can also be performed after the birth of your baby.
A good time to hand express is after you have had a shower or bath as the warmth encourages milk to flow. A calm, relaxed environment will also help your milk to flow.
It is a good idea to start expressing milk for just a few minutes on both breasts. This should not hurt or cause labour to start. Consult your midwife if you have any concerns.
How to hand express:
Sometimes practising this can help and you will soon be rewarded. There is a video on hand expression available at
There are more details on how to hand express in the ‘Off to a best start’ leaflet downloadable at
https://www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly/baby-friendly-resources/breastfeeding-resources/off-to-the-best-start/.
You can also discuss hand expression with a health professional.
How do I store my milk?
Breastfeeding Network (accessed 2022) recommend the following storage guidelines for breastmilk:
| Where | Temperature | Storage Time [Use within] |
|---|---|---|
| Just expressed | Room | 6 hours |
| Fridge | 5-10°C | 3 days |
| Fridge | Less than 4°C | 5 days |
| Freezer | Less than -18°C | 18 months |
To defrost milk, thaw in the fridge and use immediately.
When you come into hospital for the birth of your baby, bring your milk, in a cool bag with ice packs. There is a freezer to store your milk on the maternity unit. Or leave your milk at home and ask someone to bring it in if you need it.
If you have not been able to express during your pregnancy, a health professional can help you in hospital.
How do I feed my baby with a cup?
Cup feeding allows you to feed your baby without using a bottle and teat. Your baby will lap the milk from the cup, and this helps to avoid nipple-teat confusion. You could also use a medicine spoon to give your baby expressed milk.
Follow these steps to cup feed your baby safely (Newman, 2021):
Do not pour the milk into your baby’s mouth
Giving your baby breastmilk by a cup or spoon is a short term way to give your baby your milk. Continue to offer the breast to encourage baby to latch and breastfeed.
Can I find out more?
For more information about breastfeeding, you can go to:
The antenatal breastfeeding workshop
To book a breastfeeding workshop please email dgft.spmwif@nhs.net or speak to your midwife.
Useful websites:
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
www.abm.me.uk
UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative
www.babyfriendly.org.uk
Breastfeeding Network
http://breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/
La Leche League GB
La Leche League GB – Friendly breastfeeding support from pregnancy onwards
National Breastfeeding Helpline
http://www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk/
NHS Start for life.
https://www.nhs.uk/start4life/
References
Breastfeeding network (2019)
http://breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/breastfeeding-help/expressing-storing/
Accessed 27/07/22Newman, J (2021) Information Sheet Finger and Cup Feeding. Toronto: International Breastfeeding Centre. Available at:
http://ibconline.ca/information-sheets/finger-and-cup-feeding/
International BreastFeeding Centre | Finger feeding and cup feeding (ibconline.ca)
If you have any questions, or there is anything you do not understand about this leaflet.
Please contact:
Specialist Midwife Infant Feeding on 01384 456111 ext. 3887 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Russells Hall Hospital Switchboard number: 01384 456111
If you have any questions, or if there is anything you do not understand, please contact the Russells Hall Hospital switchboard number on (01384) 456111 and ask for the relevant department who issued this leaflet.
This leaflet can be made available in large print, audio version and in other languages, please call 0800 073 0510.
Originator: Maternity Documentation Group.
Date originated: August 2015. Date reviewed August 2025. Next review due August 2028.
Version 4. DGH ref: DGH/PIL/01193