Saint Mary's Hospital Maternity

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Saint Mary's Hospital Maternity

Our information page dedicated to supporting families through their pregnancy, labour, birth and postnatal care journeys around Greater Manchester.

Saint Mary's has 3 hospitals: North Manchester & Oxford Road Central Manchester & Wythenshawe

09/08/2026

✨🌍 Celebrating World Breastfeeding week🌍✨

Feeding is More Than Food ❤️

Breastfeeding is about comfort as well as feeding.

Babies often breastfeed for reassurance, closeness and comfort—not just when they're hungry. People often talk about the 4th trimester (the time after birth) where babies want to feed frequently and need a lot of comfort to settle. Your baby will not have a fixed pattern for feeding and sleeping in those early days and this can be hard, but it is normal, and it will get easier with time.

By feeding your baby responsively and providing them with this nurture and comfort, they will feel safe and secure which will support their brain development.

08/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 🌍✨

💷 Breastfeeding can save families money while supporting infant health.

For many families, the cost of raising a child can be a worry.

Breast milk is a naturally renewable food source that does not cost any extra money, is always available, at the right temperature and requires no packaging or preparation.

If you are a family on a low income, you can get help with the cost of buying food and milk with the Healthy Start Scheme NHS Healthy Start 💰

07/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding week🌍✨

Supporting Breastfeeding Families Makes a Difference 🤝

Breastfeeding can be hard, but you are not alone!

Research shows that encouragement from partners, family, friends and workplaces can improve your breastfeeding experiences and effect how long people breastfeed for.
There are many challenges that come with feeding your baby; speak to your midwife, health visitor, or local infant feeding team if you need support during your breastfeeding journey.

Sometimes the most helpful thing you can say to someone who is breastfeeding is, "How can I support you today?"

📞 Speak to your midwife, health visitor or local infant feeding team.

📍 Find free antenatal and postnatal classes and groups in Greater Manchester to support your feeding journey via the link in bio

Years

06/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding week 🌍✨

❤️ Skin-to-skin contact benefits both baby and parents

As midwives we encourage the "Golden Hour" after birth to give you and your baby protected skin-to skin time because of it's many benefits. In reality, you can do skin-to-skin for as long and as often as you would like in the early days.

Skin-to-skin releases hormones which settle and calm your baby, reducing stress for them, and for you, which also supports their brain development.

It is something all parents are encouraged to do in the early days and weeks and can help you to build a strong bond with your baby.

05/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 🌍✨

🥛 Breast milk changes every day to meet your baby's needs.

Breast milk contains antibodies, immune cells, enzymes and beneficial bacteria that help protect babies from infections while their immune systems develop. Breastmilk will change the amount of these depending on how much support your baby needs.

Night-time breast milk contains higher levels of hormones such as melatonin, which may help babies build their sleep patterns. Whereas morning breastmilk as other hormones which can help to make your baby more alert.

04/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding week🌍✨

🧠 Breastfeeding supports lifelong health and brain development.

Your baby's brain develops the most during pregnancy and the first 2 years of life and this development has an impact on their physical, emotional and mental health later in life.

Breastfeeding can boost healthy brain growth and development and give babies a head start.

Babies with good brain development are less likely to have mental health problems and stress related illnesses, and are less likely to have behavioural problems as a child, teenager and adult.

Also, good brain development supports babies to reach their developmental milestones and they are found to be more successful, confident and independent overall. 🏆

03/08/2026

✨🌍Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 🌍✨

🌱Feeding Tiny Tummies, Growing Healthy Futures

Breast milk is designed for babies to absorb efficiently and all of the nutrients in breastmilk are tailor made to support your baby's health in the short and long term.

Having healthy gut bacteria effects babies ability to digest food properly, their immunity and it even effects their emotional and mental health!

Colostrum is the first type of breastmilk produced during pregnancy and the first 3-4 days after birth. Colostrum helps to line your baby's gut, and it is concentrated with nutrients that support the healthy bacteria trying to colonise there.

29/07/2026

🌍To celebrate World Breast Feeding Week 2026, we would love to hear about your feeding journey!

🧡We know that everyone's experiences are different and we hope that by sharing them (anonymously) it can give others insight to some of the joys and challenges often faced by new parents. 🧡

🎤Tell us about the highs and lows, advice and tips and anything you feel would be helpful to share with other parents and midwives supporting new parents.

🫂Your stories will be shared within Saint Mary's Hospitals and may also be shared on our social media pages too!

Share your story on the following link, and feel free to share a picture with us too
https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/x2USP52ahi

28/07/2026

👶You really don’t need to buy a lot for safer sleep. In fact, The Lullaby Trust recommend keeping it simple, to keep it safe.
All you need is:
• Cot or Moses basket
• Mattress
• Sleeping bag or sheets and a lightweight blanket
• Room thermometer
• Portable sleep space such as Moses basket, travel cot or carry cot

❗️A portable sleep space is important because we advise that your baby is in the same room as you when they sleep – day and night. A carry cot can help you to do this.

To know if you can use a carrycot as a safer sleep space, check you can answer yes to all these questions:
• Is the pram’s sleep space completely flat?
• Is the mattress firm and waterproof with no cushioned or raised edges?
• Can the pram hood be pulled back?
• Can the cover (apron) be removed?
• Does it meet British Safety Standards?

🔖Remember to follow the manufacturer's instructions/guidance. If they don't advise overnight sleeping then you should follow their advice.

🌡Be mindful that the padded sides of a carrycot may trap in more heat, so regularly check your baby's temperature.

Learn more 👉 https://bit.ly/46ZbpYA See less

27/07/2026

🎖️⭐️Congratulations to Derin Webb, Cultural Safety & Ethnic Minority Engagement Midwife on receiving a Global Majority Leadership Award in recognition of Derin’s outstanding contribution to inclusion, leadership and driving cultural change across St Mary’s maternity services.

🎉A fantastic and well-deserved achievement. Congratulations, Derin!🎉

Address

Manchester

Telephone

+441612761234

Website

https://mft.nhs.uk/saint-marys/services/maternity-services-obstetrics/, https://padlet.com/kyliewatson2/saint-mary-s-hos

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