Our Maternity service and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) have been celebrating World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August) together this year, with a joint launch of a buccal colostrum initiative for premature babies born before 35 weeks gestation. The team have been visiting colleagues with educational tea trolleys throughout the week to talk about this collaborative perinatal effort to boost early breast milk being given to preterm babies.
At Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (ASPH), we are proud of our level 3 neonatal unit. As a tertiary specialist unit, we care for sick and premature babies from across Kent, Surrey and Sussex. Colostrum (early breastmilk) is beneficial for all babies but is exceptionally important for preterm babies, as it provides crucial immune protection and helps their underdeveloped digestive systems. It's rich in antibodies and growth factors that protect against infection and promote gut health, which is especially vital for vulnerable preterm infants.
Our buccal colostrum and birthday cuddle initiatives enable parents to give their colostrum to even their smallest of babies whilst having cuddles after birth. Throughout each baby’s journey in our neonatal unit, their family remain central to their care. Staff and parents work in partnership to help babies develop, grow, and reach their full potential.
Our Maternity, NICU, Transitional Care, Community Midwifery and Neonatal Outreach teams work together to help parents establish breastfeeding with confidence. Our neonatal and maternity specialist feeding teams are also ready to support any feeding challenges. Take a look at our Feeding and Nurturing Padlet for tips, tricks and community feeding support to get feeding off to the best start.
