Breastfeeding Centre of WA
The Breastfeeding Centre of WA provides breastfeeding information and support for families in Western Australia.
Appointments at the Breastfeeding Centre are available to mothers and babies who attended King Edward Memorial Hospital (KEMH) or their pregnancy and birth.
The centre offers a state-wide telephone counselling service for health professionals and women experiencing breastfeeding problems. It may be necessary to leave your name and number on an answering machine and a lactation consultant will return your call.
Coming to the centre enables a mother and her baby / babies to spend up to six hours overcoming breastfeeding difficulties with the help of a midwife or lactation consultant.
Referrals
Mothers who birthed at KEMH are encouraged to self-refer. Other referral sources include:
- Midwife
- Visiting Midwifery Service
- Community Nurse / Midwife
- Obstetrician
- General Practitioner (GP).
What to bring to the centre
- Baby health record book
- any expressing equipment you may be using
- nappies and change of clothes for baby
- pram (for baby to sleep in)
- plastic bag for soiled nappies
- your lunch (drinks provided)
- wear comfortable clothes easy for breastfeeding.
KEMH is a Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) Accredited Hospital where a mothers informed choice of feeding is encouraged, respected and supported. BFHI accredited hospitals follow the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding:
- Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
- Train all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
- *Place babies in skin to skin contact with their mothers immediately following birth for at least an hour and encourage mothers to recognise when their babies are ready to breastfeed, offering help if needed.
- Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their infants.
- Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
- Practice rooming-in; allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
- Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
- Give no artificial teats or dummies to breastfeeding infants.
- Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge.
More information
Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby