Kowhaiwhai Red Header

Breastfeeding

Home ›... Your health › Wellbeing in the Waikato › Breastfeeding
Your health

Breastfeeding

Waikato DHB supports and promotes breastfeeding in the Waikato.

BreastFedNZ

BreastFed NZ Banner

This breastfeeding app is very popular for help, information and support. You can download it FREE from the BreastFedNZ website.

Like or follow the Breastfeedingnz’ Facebook page - provides support and a ‘go to’ resource 24/7.

The BreastFedNZ website provides helpful information and links to support breast feeding

 

We are here to help!

  • Waikato DHB aims to support, protect, promote and celebrate breastfeeding by providing free quality support services for all Waikato women and babies up to 9 months of age to assist with overcoming breastfeeding challenges. 
  • Our Community Breastfeeding Service provide free one-on-one specialist lactation consultant support you and your midwife, doctor or Plunket/Tamariki Ora Provider, along with linking you to breastfeeding support groups, or a peer support programme if you would like this.
  • Our lactation consultants can help with with latching problems, milk supply issues, weight gain issues, pumping milk, sore nipples and breasts, unsettled babies, weaning, medical conditions in mother and baby that affect breastfeeding.

Information about the Waikato DHB Community Breastfeeding Service (community-based lactation consultants) - how to contact them, what the service offers, what to expect at the first meeting.

PlunketLine

Toll-free parent helpline and advice service available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Phone: 0800 933 922
Website: www.plunket.org.nz

La Leche League Waikato

La Leche League Leaders are mothers who have been trained to provide information and support for breastfeeding. You can phone, come to a meeting, or ask a question via email or Facebook. 

Phone: 027 781 3674
Email: help@lalecheleague.org.nz or lllparentsplace@gmail.com
Facebook Page: @LLLHamiltonNZ
Website: www.laleche.org.nz

Healthline

Phone: 0800 611 116

NZ Lactation Consultants

Phone: 0800 452 282 or 0800 4LACTATION
Website: www.nzlca.org.nz

River Ridge East Birth Centre Breastfeeding Clinic

Supports, enables and encourages mothers to maintain long term breastfeeding of infants.

Phone: 07 839 0425

Website: www.riverridgeeastbc.co.nz

Health Navigator

Resources, reviewed apps, videos and support links

Website: www.healthnavigator.org.nz

  • All our facilities are breastfeeding friendly.
  • At Waikato Hospital we have a breastfeeding pod in the Meade Clinical Centre for women who prefer more privacy or need a confined space to manage other children while they breastfeed.
  • Women are able to breastfeed their baby anywhere, anyplace, anytime. 
  • In Hamilton signage is available to assure you of a venue’s support of breastfeeding within their premises – this signage is beginning to be seen throughout the Waikato. 
  • The right to breastfeed in public is protected as a human right under the Human Rights Act 1993.

Breastfeeding women returning to work can continue to breastfeed. Many mums have gone back to work and kept breastfeeding their babies. Important to successful breastfeeding on return to work is:

  • having enough maternity leave for mums to get breastfeeding established – best to take at minimum 14 weeks and preferably slightly longer if possible. 
  • employers making it easier for women by providing time and a place to breastfeed or express and store milk. 
  • colleagues can also support you while you are breastfeeding – it is not always easy to balance work and being a new mum.
  • knowing that getting back to work can change established feeding and sleep patterns - it is important to be patient and to ask for help from knowledgeable friends and family until patterns are re-established.

Breastfeeding at work is protected by employment legislation (Employment Relations Act 2000). By law, as far as reasonable, employers are required to

  • give you unpaid breaks to breastfeed your baby or express milk at work.
  • provide you facilities to do this.