Expressing before and after a feed – early days

Description

The narrator explains about how expressing a little milk on to the nipple can be helpful in encouraging the baby to attach to the breast. Esther is shown with her baby Ned who is 11 days old, Esther talks about how she and Ned had some difficulty getting breastfeeding off to a good start and how hand expressing helped Ned by showing him that the milk was there for him.
The clip continues with shots of Angela and Finn explaining the circumstances around Angela’s need to hand express for Finn who spent 2 days on the NNU. Other examples of circumstances of when expressing is needed when babies come early such as Senan, and twins Arabella and Rosenwyn are also detailed.

The narrator goes onto talk about various circumstances when babies might not be able to start breastfeeding straight after birth including for some babies when no reason can be found and suggests, in detail, ways in which babies can be helped to get breastfeeding going after an initial period, however short, of not feeding at the breast. There is footage of babies being finger fed straight from the breast and from milk collected in a cup as well as via a syringe.

Esther & Ned, Angela & Finn, Senan, Arabella & Rosenwyn

Writer & Director: Helen Shanahan
Filmed and Edited: Patrick Shanahan