Community Breastfeeding Support Service
Community Breastfeeding Support Service (Lactation Consultants)
Our Community Breastfeeding Service provide free one-on-one specialist lactation consultant support for you and your midwife, doctor or Plunket/Tamariki Ora Provider, along with linking you to breastfeeding support groups, or a peer support programme if you would like this.
What do the Lactation Consultants do?
They work with latching problems, milk supply issues (too little or too much milk), weight gain issues, pumping milk, sore nipples and breasts including infections, unsettled babies, weaning, medical conditions in mother and baby that affect breastfeeding.
During an appointment they will
- Listen and take a detailed history of your breastfeeding story
- Observe baby breastfeeding and do a full breastfeeding assessment
- Work out a plan for you and your baby that will provide solutions
- Work with your midwife, Plunket or Tamariki Ora nurse or doctor.
Children, partners and whanau are all welcome
Hamilton City Breastfeeding Support Service
- Support is available for mothers with babies up to 3 months of age
- Provided by Waikato Hospital based Lactation Consultants
- You can access the service via your midwife, doctor, Plunket/Tamariki Ora nurse, Whanau Ora, Pasifika provider or Maternal/Baby hub. They can refer you.
- If you live in Hamilton City you can contact the service directly - call/text 021 761 935 or (07) 839 8899 ext. 98196
- Lactation consultants provide
- Education and support
- Appointment based community clinics
- Support by phone, text, or email
- Information on medications/medical procedures and breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding and tongue function assessment with referral to the tongue tie service
Rural Waikato Breastfeeding Support Service (For those outside of Hamilton city)
- Support is available for mothers with babies up to 9 months of age
- Lactation consultants cover Waikato, Hauraki, Thames and Coromandel, Matamata Piako, Waipa, Otorohanga, Waitomo, South Waikato and the Taumarunui area within the Ruapehu District.
- You can access the service via your midwife, doctor, Plunket/Tamariki Ora nurse, Whanau Ora, Pasifika provider or Maternal/Baby hub. They can refer you.
- Lactation consultants provide
- Education and support
- Support by phone, text, or email
- Information on medications/medical procedures and breastfeeding
- Breastfeeding, tongue function and suck assessment
- Home visits
Referrals
- You can access the service via your midwife, doctor, Plunket/Tamariki Ora nurse, Whanau Ora, Pasifika provider or Maternal/Baby hub. They can refer you.
- For health care providers
- Hamilton city referrals via Referral Coordination Centre - RCC@waikatodhb.health.nz
- Outside of Hamilton referrals email referrals Community Referral Centre - CommunityReferralCentre@waikatodhb.health.nz
- If you live in Hamilton City a woman/family can contact the service directly
- Call/text 021 761 935 or 07 839 8899 ext. 98196
- Call/text 021 761 935 or 07 839 8899 ext. 98196
- Lactation consultant service referral form [PDF, 36 KB]