Recognising Scottish Breastfeeding Week – Express Yourself
Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity is honoured to be supporting families during Scottish Breastfeeding Week. The event, which is being recognised in Scotland from 8th to 15th June, aims to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding and help connect breastfeeding parents with support, peer groups, and resources.
As it recognises its 25th anniversary, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity is shining a light on its support for the Infant Feeding Team across NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and for Scotland’s smallest patients and their families.
The charity has invested more than £1 million in breastfeeding support initiatives since 2001, and its volunteers drive thousands of miles each year to transport donor milk to babies in neonatal units across the country. One of these initiatives, Express Yourself, continues to help mums from across Scotland provide breast milk for their babies with practical, thoughtful support in NICU and PICU. An Express Yourself pack provides each mum with a cool bag for safe milk transport, a water bottle, and contact details for infant feeding support. Together, these small but essential items help mums stay hydrated, feel encouraged, and safely store their milk whether they’re at home or in hospital.
Here are some of their stories.
Caitlin’s Story
“It made travelling to the NICU every morning with 800mls of milk so much easier. It kept it cool on the journey over and allowed my milk to stay fresh for my baby. Thank you so much for the express yourself kits. Lifesaving!”
Anna’s Story
“Getting the Express Yourself pack from Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity while my baby was in NICU made such a difference to my mindset. I was able to focus my mind on expressing to feed him and made me feel less helpless. I also managed to collect colostrum with this pack and Archie my son got this through his NG tube which was such a big deal for us as a family and something we wouldn’t have been able to do otherwise!”
Subbia’s Story
“I absolutely LOVED my breastfeeding experience working with the breastfeeding teams at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Princess Royal Maternity, and Royal Alexandra Hospital as my boys were in all three NICU’s. The kit was brilliant, the booklet explained everything clearly and all the equipment given to me was very useful.
“I was given so much support and encouragement; I will be forever grateful. I managed to express breastfeed my triplet boys for six months! I honestly could not have done this without all the lovely ladies, also still use my tote bag!”
Sahiba’s Story
“I received amazing breastfeeding support during my journey. The breastfeeding booklet helped me keep track of my baby’s feeds, and the water bottle was a great reminder to stay hydrated. I also received a pen and diary, which I used to write down my thoughts and experiences, something I really valued during those early days. The cool bag was incredibly useful for carrying my baby’s feeds when we were out and about.
“The breastfeeding nurses at the hospital were absolutely wonderful and provided so much support and encouragement. The breastfeeding room always had juice, coffee, and cookies available, which helped keep me nourished and comfortablet. All of these things made a real difference to me and my baby, and I’m very grateful for the care and support we received.”
Eilidh’s Story
“We received an Express Yourself Breastfeeding Kit during our initial days in the NICU. At a time when we were constantly travelling between home and hospital, having one less thing to think about made a real difference. The kit took away the worry of how we would safely transport expressed milk back to the unit, allowing us to focus on establishing breastfeeding and building a milk supply during those early days. All we needed to remember was to take the cool bag and bottle of water from the fridge before heading out!
“Now, nine months later, we’re still using the cool bag to take milk out and about!”
Amber’s Story
“I’m very grateful for the breastfeeding support during my son’s time in NICU. He arrived in NICU on day 7 so we had already began breastfeeding and it was important to me and the staff that I was able to continue my breastfeeding journey while he was in there.
“The kit supplied was great and it made me feel supported and to continue our journey during a hard time. The cool bag allowed me to store expressed milk so he could feed if I was away. The water bottle was handy to keep me hydrated as that breastfeeding thirst is like no other! Thank you, Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity!”
Recognising Scottish Breastfeeding Week
Kirsten Watson, CEO of Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity added: “For 25 years, our supporters and volunteers have consistently gone the extra mile for Scotland’s tiniest babies. Every week our volunteer drivers travel the length and breadth of the country, transporting vital donor milk bank to every neonatal unit, and offering vital support to the Infant Feeding Team. I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to our generous donors, fundraisers and volunteers, whose generosity enables these life-saving programmes to reach the babies who need them most, and who have made it possible for Glasgow Children’s Hospital Charity to invest more than £1 million in breastfeeding support services.”
Glasgow Children's Hospital Charity has invested more than £53 million in projects and services since it was founded 25 years ago.