07/08/2026
Meet Elise, our Infant Feeding Advisor
As part of World Breast Feeding Week, we wanted to tell you all about Elise and the important job she does here at the hospital for our young patients and their families.
"As the Infant Feeding Advisor (IFA) for the RHC my job is to help support families with feeding their baby during a hospital stay. Being ill, or sometimes the treatments for illness, can affect how infants feed. Or they may be in hospital due to an issue with feeding. Sometimes they may not be able to be fed at all for a little while and returning to feeding might be a challenge too. My job is to work with staff and families to help feeding get back on track as much as possible.
World Breastfeeding Week 2026 is about "Breastfeeding for a sustainable start in life: strengthen what works". We know that record numbers of babies in NHS GGC are getting breastmilk right into their second year and beyond, in line with NHS and WHO recommendations. Some of these babies will be admitted to RHC and for sick infants breast milk isn't just nutrition, it can offer comfort, relieve pain, support immunity and gut health and so much more. Providing breast milk can help families feel close to their baby, promote a sense of normalcy and our Donor Milk Bank helps support this by providing donor milk to our sickest babies when space and time is needed for establishing and building a parent's milk supply.
We know what works in breastfeeding support in hospital; skilled, evidence based and consistent care provided by well trained, motivated individuals. Our staff in RHC are working together to provide the best care for our families and have begun the journey to UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Accreditation"
