Integrated Infant Feeding Team

About our department

We are a service that works in partnership with maternity, health visitors, community hubs and   Home Start Breastfeeding Support. We offer a variety of support to new parents in Tameside, in hospital, at home and on the phone. We also provide specialist feeding clinics for more complex feeding challenges. All our staff are trained to the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative standards to support parents with breastfeeding, bottle feeding, introducing solid foods and relationship building.

Specialist infant feeding clinics take place most Mondays and Thursdays between 8:30am-midday at Ashton Primary Care Centre, Ashton-Under-Lyne, OL6 7SR (appointment only).

The specialist infant feeding clinic deals with more complex feeding issues in breast or formula fed babies e.g. tongue tie management and advice, low milk supply, slow weight gain, nipple pain, latching problems, babies born early or with additional medical needs. Pregnant women are also welcome to access the service.

We accept referrals from midwives, health visitors, GPs, paediatricians, dietitians and early years workers in community hubs. Local parents are also able to self-refer by telephone and email.

All babies on discharge from hospital are supported by the midwife and health visitor. Home-start can offer additional feeding support, advice, signpost to drop-in feeding groups and refer to the specialist infant feeding clinics as required.

We run a free breast pump hire service for 2-4 weeks for babies with more complex issues.

We also provide training for all grades of staff in order to provide evidence-based care and to ensure breastfeeding is supported and protected within our organisations and our communities.

We are working towards becoming a UNICEF Baby Friendly NHS Trust.