Breastfeeding in the neonatal unit

This week, I’m delighted to speak to Sam Petridis, a neonatal nurse and IBCLC, about her breastfeeding and neonatal care. She is Baby Friendly Initiative Lead for her hospital, so we discuss what that means, and what the UNICEF guidelines mean for breastfeeding.

Sam explains the different levels of neonatal care (Levels 1, 2, and 3) and the importance of early breastfeeding and skin-to-skin contact. She talks about leading the way on Baby Friendly accreditation, the challenges of balancing medical protocols with parent-led feeding, the benefits of donor milk, and how COVID-19 impacted life on the neonatal ward. 

My new book, ‘Supporting the Transition from Breastfeeding: a Guide to Weaning for Professionals, Supporters and Parents’, is out now.

You can get 10% off the book at the Jessica Kingsley press website, that's uk.jkp.com using the code MMPE10 at checkout.

Follow me on Twitter @MakesMilk and on Instagram  @emmapickettibclc or find out more on my website www.emmapickettbreastfeedingsupport.com

For more information about milk donation after loss, contact https://www.milkbankatchester.org.uk/donationafterloss/memorymilkgift/

https://humanmilkfoundation.org/hearts-milk-bank/donating-after-bereavement/

For support for premature and sick babies, contact https://www.bliss.org.uk/

This podcast is presented by Emma Pickett IBCLC, and produced by Emily Crosby Media.