Portable breast pumps funded by Rockinghorse arrive in Brighton and Haywards Heath.
As you may know, breast feeding a new baby has many benefits, for both baby and parent. Along with dramatically improving a mother’s long term milk supply, it can also help longer term feeding outcomes, improve the overall health of mother and baby and support bonding with your baby.
But if you have a premature or unwell baby who needs a stay in hospital straight after they’re born, having some support around expressing milk is really important for mum’s separated from their newborns.
We recently received a request from the Trevor Mann Baby Unit (TMBU) in Brighton and the Princess Royal Hospital maternity unit in Haywards Heath, for us to fund some new Medela portable breast pumps to help with this issue.
As part of their Baby Friendly accreditation, the teams at the two sites want to make it as easy as possible for new parents to be able to express their milk early and whilst they are staying in the hospital.
Katie Sweeney, Neonatal Nurse Specialist on TMBU, said, “These new pumps will make it easier for mums to begin expressing milk early – an essential step for establishing long-term milk supply and supporting breastfeeding success.
“They will be primarily used by mums resting and recovering on the postnatal wards at both the Royal Alexanda Children’s Hospital and Princess Royal, separated from their babies receiving specialist care in the Trevor Mann Baby Unit and Special Care Baby Unit.”
Katie went on to explain why this project is vital for new parents, “Breastmilk plays a crucial role in the treatment of premature and unwell babies. While their babies are cared for in these units, mums are supported to begin expressing within the first two hours after birth and to continue regularly, helping to establish a strong milk supply. This gives mums a unique and powerful role in their baby’s care.”
Previously there were far fewer pumps available which regularly led to delays and meant that new parents were less likely to start expressing quickly after birth. But now, with more of these available, it’s much easier for parents to use them and start their breast-feeding journeys.
Katie added, “A huge thank you to Rockinghorse for their continued support of our babies and mothers.”
To find out more about the projects we are delivering, take a look at our Projects page here. And to find out how to apply for funding, you can look at how project funding works here.
