As a new mum you have to make a lot of decisions about your baby’s care.
Breastfeeding is what your body is expecting to do when your baby is born, and it's important for your baby as he or she continues to grow.
Breastfeeding your baby is an amazing achievement because every day that you breastfeed makes a difference to your baby’s health. There are also lots of benefits for you as a mum.
Did your friends and family breastfeed?
You might find that your friends, family or partner don’t know much about breastfeeding. Ask your midwife to put you in touch with a teenage pregnancy midwife and teenage support group, which will be able to share lots of ideas with you. They may also provide classes for grandparents and dads. In this way, your family can support you.
You might like to watch the DVD ‘Bump to Breastfeeding’ with your family and friends, or show them some of the information you have about breastfeeding so that they understand why breastfeeding is important. The DVD is available for free from your midwife or from Best Beginnings.
See Why breastfeed? for more information about breastfeeding that you could share with your family and friends.
Feeding when you're out and about
Breastfeeding is just like any other new skill – it takes a little bit of practice. Once you and your baby are good at breastfeeding, you’ll feel more confident about doing it wherever you are.
College or school
If you’re going back to school or college after having your baby, you may have questions about how to continue breastfeeding. Speak to your school or college before going back, and ask them what support is available. Can they provide somewhere private for you to sit and breastfeed or express your breast milk? Could you put expressed milk in a fridge on the premises?
You may find that there are facilities already available for students or teachers who breastfeed. Alternatively, you may be able to arrange to go to your baby at certain break times, so that you can breastfeed there or have the baby brought to you.
Further information
To read about young mums and their experiences of breastfeeding, go to the Be a Star website. If you want to speak to someone in person for information and support about breastfeeding, speak to your midwife or health visitor, or you can call the National Breastfeeding Helpline on 0300 100 0212 from 9.30am to 9.30pm.
