Need more information?

If you would like any general advice about breastfeeding, support is available from your community midwife, or health visitor, at your local doctors’ surgery or health centre. If you need out of hours support, phone your local maternity hospital and ask to speak to the on-call midwife.

There are a number of breastfeeding support groups around the country run by a trained midwife or health visitor. These groups offer an opportunity to discuss breastfeeding (and many other) issues with fellow breastfeeding mums. You can share tips on a variety of topics from feeding your baby during the night to breastfeeding when returning to work. Ask your midwife or health visitor about local groups that run in your area.

There are also voluntary organisations and charities that can support you to breastfeed. Below is a list of the websites that we think you will find useful:

• The Breastfeeding Network
• Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
• La Leche League
• National Childbirth Trust

You can find at more about giving your baby the best start in life by visiting the Best Beginnings website.

The Unicef’s Baby Friendly Initiative highlights the research about the benefits of breastfeeding.