Parents' Guide to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Breastfeeding Policy

We firmly believe that breastfeeding is the most healthy and natural way for baby feeding. We encourage breastfeeding for its enormous and irreplaceable health benefits to your baby. We will do our best to help parents make informed decisions on infant feeding and support their execution.

How we can help successful breastfeeding

1. Our staff is well trained to support breastfeeding.
2. During your pregnancy, our midwives and nurses will provide comprehensive information and answer any question you may have on breastfeeding.
3. We will facilitate your skin-to-skin contact with your new born soon after birth. Our staff will not intrude or hurry you; we will be there to support and assist your first breastfeeding.
4. You will be shown how to hold your baby and breastfeed correctly.
5. You will be shown how to express breastmilk and receive an information leaflet for reference at home.
6. You will be shown how to maintain lactation in case of temporary separation from your baby.
7. Most babies should be fed breastmilk exclusively in their first six months. If medical conditions require other food to be fed, our staff will explain the need and seek your prior consent.
8. Under normal circumstances, your baby will stay with you at all times. If babies have to be away temporarily for medical procedures, mothers are welcome to accompany them to minimize the separation as much as possible.
9. We encourage feeding whenever your baby shows feeding cues.
10. Teats, dummies and nipple shields are not recommended for breastfed babies. These can affect your baby’s suckling habit and impede successful breastfeeding.
11. Before you return home, we will provide a list of community resource and hotline services that support breastfeeding at home.

(This guide is an abstract of the Hospital’s breastfeeding policy. Please visit our hospital website for details of the full version.)