About Our Service
Our team of Clinical Midwife Specialists, Lactation Consultants, Physiotherapists & Dieticians have created a suite of breastfeeding videos to support you in your breastfeeding journey. Breastfeeding is a learned skill - both for you and your baby. Being prepared and reaching out for support if you need it is key to a positive experience.
Topics covered in our videos include: preparing to breastfeed, the benefits of harvesting colostrum, positioning and attachment, signs of effective breastfeeding, common challenges, eating well, along with offering guidance on a number of techniques, such as hand expressing.
Breastmilk can be very beneficial to premature and sick babies. We have developed a series of videos especially for women who experience, or are at risk of, a pre-term birth - please click here.
Harvesting Colostrum
The below conditions or experiences may make breastfeeding more difficult. Harvesting colostrum towards the end of your pregnancy can be helpful to promote milk production and to feed your baby if you are unable to breastfeed right away.
If you would like to discuss further, or if your antenatal team has recommended colostrum harvesting, please contact the Infant Feeding Department on 01 408 5761 when you are 34 weeks pregnant.
Visit Stanford Medicine for information on Hand Expression of colostrum and breast milk.
Remember, breastfeeding is a learned skill, it takes time, commitment and patience for mother and baby to become skilled at it.
A special thank you to all the mothers and babies who assisted us in the development of these videos. We couldn’t have done it without you.
Preparing to Breastfeed
In this video, we discuss:
How your breasts change during pregnancy to feed your baby.
Why breastfeeding is important for the health of your baby and for yourself.
How you can prepare for breastfeeding.
If there are concerns, how we can support you with the collection of colostrum before the birth of your baby.
The ‘Golden’ Hour
In this video, we discuss the ‘golden hour’ after birth, a time of uninterrupted skin to skin contact. Along with a host of other benefits, this skin to skin contact serves to stimulate your baby’s instinctive interest in feeding.
Positioning and Latch
In this video, we will show you how to help your baby to position and latch for effective breastfeeding.
Signs of Effective Breastfeeding
In this video, we discuss how to recognise signs of effective breastfeeding and how to know if your baby is getting enough milk.
Common Challenges
In this video, we discuss common challenges experienced in the early days of breastfeeding.
These include:
A sleepy baby
Engorged, sore or cracked nipples
Cluster feeding
Mastitis
Eating During Breastfeeding
It’s important to fuel your body with healthy and nutritious foods to stay well and support your breastfeeding journey. In this video, we share tips for eating well during breastfeeding.
Global Health Breastfeeding Series: Attaching your Baby at the Breast
This video provides helpful tips to promote a deep latch, helping your baby to get more milk, and making breastfeeding a more comfortable experience for you both.
This video was created to support mothers in the developing world, but the content is helpful to breastfeeding mothers worldwide.
FAQs
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Book into our online breastfeeding classes by sending an email to classbookings@coombe.ie and contact our department if follow up is required
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Call our office and leave a voicemail from 34 weeks - we will need to have a telephone consultation to ensure it is safe for you to do so, and then we will leave a colostrum harvesting pack for collection. This is free of charge, so you don’t need to buy one privately. Please note we do need at least 3 days notice in order to prepare your pack for you.
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Make sure your partner or family are aware of your choice so they can look after you once you are home. Practice plenty of unrestricted skin to skin with your baby as research shows this helps to increase your supply and may make the baby more interested in feeding at the breast. It takes patience and hard work to establish breastfeeding so accept all offers of help. Don't expect to get into a routine quickly, babies feed frequently in the early days and weeks until breastfeeding becomes established.
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Your midwife is your primary caregiver on the ward and all our midwives are trained to support breastfeeding. If she feels there is an ongoing issue, she can send a referral to the lactation team and you will be seen the next day on the ward. Breastfeeding takes time to establish so do ask for help while you are here.
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You will go home to the support of either the community midwives from the Coombe if you are in the catchment area, or to the care of your public health nurse, who will usually see you within 72 hours of home. You should receive our information sheet prior to home and can contact us with any issues that need follow up. We have a weekly postnatal clinic, by appointment only, and will assist you to breastfeed your baby.
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The hospital grade pump is useful to increase your milk supply if required, but we would like you to call us to make a follow up appointment in the first 2 weeks so we can try and help you to transition to breastfeeding.
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The evidence suggests that 70% of babies can successfully breastfeed with a tongue restriction. There are some babies who may require a frenotomy in our tongue tie assessment clinic. If it is identified on the postnatal ward, one of our lactation team will come and assess a feed and can refer you on to our clinic. If you have gone home and it is affecting your breastfeeding, e.g. painful nipples, baby not able to feed, we need to assess your feeding first in our postnatal clinic, prior to referring you on. In many cases adjusting your position and latch can improve your breastfeeding.
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We have lactation consultants in the NICU who will guide and support you and prepare you both for the transition home.
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Please see a health professional if you are concerned about your baby - your GP, or out of hours your nearest children's hospital (Crumlin, Tallaght, Temple Street). There is no baby A & E in the Coombe.
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My Pregnancy book available from mychild.ie and given at your booking appointment.
HSE - Breastfeeding: A good start in life
The Coombe Hospital: Breastfeeding Your Baby
HSE - Safe Skin to Skin with your Baby after Birthscription
Bottle Feeding
If you choose to combination feed, or exclusively bottle feed your baby, we recommend that you visit the HSE website and read the information on the following:
Breastfeeding and Exercise
Moderate exercise while breastfeeding has many benefits. It can improve mum’s health and has a positive effect on emotional well- being.
This feeling of well-being, improved energy and reduced stress levels can enhance maternal-infant relationship. For information speak to our physiotherapy department or download our Breastfeeding and Exercise leaflet.
Patient Experience
Every patient’s path to diagnosis and treatment is individual. No matter your specific journey, we believe in empowering you to take an active role in your healthcare.
Departments & Services
Help & Support
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Appointments:
All appointments can be directed through Hospital reception: 01 408 5200, 24 hours a day -
Health Insurance:
We operate a direct payment scheme with VHI, Laya Healthcare, Irish Life Health, Garda Medical Aid, ESB, Medical Provident Fund, and Prison Officers Medical Aid. If you are covered by any of these insurers, the relevant insurance forms are signed electronically on your admission to hospital.
Fees:
For more information on Fees - visit our Hospital Charges page -
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The Resource Page:
Browse our collection of patient resources, brochures, and information leaflets—all in one place. Downloadable and easy to access, these documents cover everything from appointments and procedures to maternity, newborn care, and more.
Contact Us
Tel: 01 408 5200
Find Us
The Coombe Hospital
Switchboard:
Location:
Cork St, Dublin, D08 XW7X