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Lullaby Trust: Expert information on keeping your baby safe

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Lullaby Trust: Expert information on keeping your baby safe

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We’re here to keep babies safe by empowering families and professionals with trusted baby safety advice.

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Childbirth is a life-changing experience and it can be hard to make sense of it all. The Listening Service is there to help you debrief and understand the series of events that now make up your birth story. Fell free to reach out for a debriefing discussion.

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Call for concern public facing A3 (7) (2) (1)

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Standardising Postnatal Guidance for Women_s Care _version 2_ UPDATED 2025 - FINAL DOCUMENT - P (1)

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You will be offered a postnatal check / assessment daily by our postnatal team. This is your opportunity to check your are physically recovering from your birth and to identify any additional support needs or treatment you may require.

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Your baby will have a daily assessment by our postnatal care team. In addition to this your baby will be offered the following:

Hearing screen- see link for more information

NIPE (Newborn & Infant Physical examination) check- See link for more information

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During you sure stay on our ward you may need to see a specialist to support your care. This may include an:

Obstetrician

Physiotherapist

Pharmacist

Hearing Screener

Neonatologist

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On arrival you will be taken to your allocated bed and your labour ward midwife will then hand over you care to your postnatal midwife.

Shortly after your postnatal midwife will attend to carry out any admission checks you and your baby may need and go through your care plan with you.

Our postnatal team will orientate you to your immediate area. Each bedside has a cupboard for your personal belongings, a call bell system, remote for your mechanical bed and a chair for your birth partner.

You will be provided with a jug of water and our hostess will attend to take meal orders during their set rounds.

The ward is staffed with midwives, maternity support workers, nursery nurse and volunteers on the ward as additional support.

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Why I wanted to bring baby boxes to the UK

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust is first in the UK to offer baby boxes and access to Baby Box university to new parents. Consultant obstetrician Miss Karen Joash explains why she wanted to bring baby boxes to our hospitals.

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Our postnatal care service provides care for women immediately after they have given birth.

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Medication rounds are four times daily, at set times throughout the day. However, if you require medication or pain relief outside of these times please do let your midwife know.

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Our hospitality team serve three meal services per day.

Breakfast

Lunch

Dinner

( Nb: Should you be admitted to the ward after orders have been taken, you will be offered a cold snack bag and your warm meal will be ordered at the next round)

We have tea/coffee self service trollies accessible 24hrs a day.

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During your stay on the Ward, one of your two named birth partners may stay with you to support you and support caring for your baby.

Birth partners are permitted to stay overnight, we ask that during unsocial hours (8pm- 8am) that they limit the number of times they leave and re-enter the ward. Please see our Partner conduct of conduct and visiting leaflet avaialble on the ward.

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The London Maternity Clinical Network developed a series of perinatal pelvic health videos with the aim of increasing access to reliable physiotherapy advice. ​

These videos will enable women to:​

Understand and manage physiological changes that occur in pregnancy​

Optimise pelvic floor health​

Understand how to exercise safely in pregnancy and after birth ​

Be knowledgeable about self care in the postnatal period​

Know when to seek medical advice and referral​

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing during Pregnancy (English)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V...

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing During Pregnancy (Arabic)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V…

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing During Pregnancy (Urdu)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V...

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing During Pregnancy (Polish)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V…

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing During Pregnancy (Somali)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V…

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Pelvic Health and Wellbeing During Pregnancy (Gujarati)

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The London Maternity Clinical Network has worked in collaboration with Imperial College Healthcare Trust, NWL LMNS, service-user representatives, Maternity V...

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POGP website has the ability to translate their leaflets to every language and to provide audio in all languages using the ReciteMe function on the website. For those languages which are not available on the Pelvic Health and well being videos.

Fit for the future leaflet is a post natal advice leaflet but they also have a pelvic floor exercise advice leaflet

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Essential Exercises and Advice After Childbirth

This booklet contains a safe set of exercises and advice to help new mothers recover after childbirth.

This leaflet is also available in Urdu

Click here for price list and ordering details should you wish to have professionally printed hard copies.

Free to download and print.

Please download or share this QR code to link to this booklet.

Download Booklet
Back to Resources

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This booklet contains a safe set of exercises and advice to help new mothers recover after childbirth. This leaflet is also available in Urdu Click here for price list and ordering details should you wish to have professionally printed hard copies. Free to download and print.

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This technique involves expressing colostrum in the final few weeks of pregnancy. It can also be referred to as 'colostrum harvesting' and is advocated by some NHS Trusts.

Mothers are normally advised to wait until around 36 weeks before starting antenatal expression. Mums who are having multiple births may sometimes start sooner as giving birth earlier is more likely.
Why do it?
For some mothers, it can be a useful tool that helps ensure their baby will start life without the need for formula supplementation. The importance of exclusive breastfeeding for all babies has been well-established by scientific research.

Colostrum contains vital immunological properties and helps to colonise the baby's gut with healthy bacteria that protect against allergy and disease.

It also contains the perfect balance of proteins, fats and micronutrients needed for human babies as well as acting as a laxative to help the passing of the first tarry meconium stools.

Some babies may experience difficulties with feeding or maintaining their blood sugar levels during the first few days after birth and therefore may require supplementary feeds.

These include babies:

whose mother had diabetes in pregnancy or who has a history of diabetes.

with a cleft lip or palate identified during pregnancy.

with congenital conditions e.g. Down syndrome or cardiac complications.

diagnosed with intrauterine growth restriction.

whose mother is taking beta blockers to control high blood pressure.

who are twins or triplets.

Where there is a family history of cow's milk protein sensitivity or type 1 diabetes, families may be particularly keen to avoid the use of early formula supplementation.

Some women may need to consider supplementing feeds from an early stage if there are concerns over their ability to make and/or secrete milk.

These include women:

who have a breast hypoplasia (limited breast development).

who have had previous breast surgery.

It is important for a mother to discuss her plans to express antenatally with her healthcare provider. It may not be recommended if you've been at risk of preterm labour in previous pregnancies, or have a surgical stitch, for example.

It is recommended to express antenatally by hand rather than use an electric or manual breast pump. Colostrum will be produced in quite small quantities and can easily stick to the bottles or pump parts and be harder to collect. A pump at this stage is likely to be more uncomfortable than gentle hands. Try hand expressing for a few minutes, 2 or 3 times a day.

If you hand express and use a syringe to draw up the individual drips of colostrum, you can use these syringes for storage prior to birth. Your health care provider may be able to supply you with sterile syringes.
How to hand express:

Always wash your hands before expressing.

Applying a warm compress to your breast or expressing after a warm bath or shower can help the flow of colostrum.

Get yourself comfortable. Perhaps seated and leaning slightly forward but find what works best for you.

Start with a gentle breast massage, stroking from the back of your breast towards the nipple to encourage the let-down reflex.

Put your thumb above the nipple and your first few fingers below the nipple. You will be cupping the breast in a 'C' shape.

With your thumb and fingers, feel a few centimetres back from the nipple.

Press back towards your chest, then compress (press your fingers together), and release.

Repeat this process, building up a rhythm. Press, compress, release.

It may be useful to look online for videos of hand expression techniques.

Colostrum should start to arrive drop by drop. Initially it may just be a glisten on the end of your nipple, and it may take a few days of practice before drops appear.

Collect the colostrum into a clean container, like a syringe (1ml or 2ml syringe). If nothing happens, adjust your finger position slightly to find the spot that works for you. Try not to pinch your nipple or slide your fingers uncomfortably over the skin.

Rotate the position of your fingers and thumb around the areola (imagine a clock face) and repeat the expressing process to stimulate and remove colostrum from different parts of your breast.

Express each breast twice during each session.

Colostrum can vary in appearance. Sometimes it may appear quite thick and yellow or orange and at other times paler and thinner. Expressing colostrum antenatally will not decrease or increase your milk supply after baby is born.
Storage of human breast milk
Colostrum can be collected two to three times each day in the same syringe. You will need to store the syringe in the fridge between uses.

At the end of the collecting day, the colostrum can be frozen - place the syringe into a zip-lock bag before putting into the freezer. Label the syringe and bag (separately) with the date and time of when you expressed.

The frozen colostrum can be stored for up to six months in the freezer. Once thawed, it should be used within 24 hours.
Is it safe?
The oxytocin hormone released when expressing, stimulates the uterus. Opinions differ on whether expressing colostrum antenatally is likely to induce labour. Those who advocate it do not believe that expressing would constitute sufficient stimulation to start labour. Sex while pregnant and breastfeeding through pregnancy both release oxytocin and both are generally considered safe while pregnant. If you experience any cramping in your uterus however, you should stop expressing and discuss your choice with your healthcare provider.
Transporting your frozen colostrum
You can take syringes of frozen colostrum into hospital using a freezer block and insulated bag. The colostrum can be defrosted under a running warm tap or at room temperature.

It's a good idea to mention your colostrum stores on your birth plan and make sure staff are aware in advance of your wishes in certain situations. The hospital may have access to a freezer for storage once you arrive.

After the birth, breastfeeding should usually be unrestricted. Ideally, a baby should feed successfully at the breast and the antenatally expressed colostrum would remain unused.

If your baby is experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding at this time, you may be encouraged to express some fresh colostrum to give to your baby. You may also use any colostrum you have brought into hospital with you in preference to using any formula.

If harvested colostrum ends up being 'wasted' because you are able to establish early exclusive breastfeeding, this is a cause for celebration rather than commiseration!

The process of antenatal expressing however, gives you a back-up if things don't go to plan which many families find reassuring. You'll also start your breastfeeding with a good sense of how to hand express and confidence about how your breasts work.

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Expressing your milk before your baby arrives - ABM

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Antenatal expressing is expressing colostrum in the final few weeks of pregnancy. Find out if it could be a useful tool for you.

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Bengali - NHS London - MRICB - Vitamin D

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Gujarati - NHS London - MRICB - Vitamin D

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Punjabi - NHS London - MRICB - Vitamin D

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Edith Dare FFT (Patient feedback Questionnaire)

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Edith Dare FFT (Patient feedback Questionnaire)

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See link for ICON- Infant Crying Is Normal. Use Reach Deck to convert webpage to alternative languages.

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Printed resources If you would like to purchase printed options of ICON resources please use the link below to visit our print partner.

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What to expect in the first few days after birth, including your baby’s appearance, birthmarks, tests and fontanelles.

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Find out more about jaundice, a common and usually harmless condition in newborn babies that causes yellowing of the skin and the whites of the eyes.