FAQs About breastfeeding support

  • Usually not. The midwives at Dial a Midwife are specialists in breastfeeding, and we’re pretty good at sorting out most breastfeeding issues remotely. As with lactation consultants, we may need to have more than one session with you to assess progress and adjust plans as needed, but in the first instance, it’s worth reaching out to us - our service is completely free to you, with a Medicare card. If we need to involve a lactation consultant, we will let you know, but those situations are rare.

  • Breastfeeding challenges can take time to resolve as we make our plans and refine them according to your progress and baby’s needs. Sometimes one appointment is all that’s needed, particularly for siple issues, but for more complex issues, we may need to see you more than once.

    We generally recommend weekly visits once baby is born - we find that these are a great way to spot early issues and manage them before they become larger problems.

  • Yes, and it’s a great idea! Learning the basics of breastfeeding in pregnancy makes it easier to start feeding with confidence.

breastfeeding support and advice

Dial a Midwife … we’re here for you - all the way

the midwives at dial a midwife are specialists in breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is 100% natural — but that doesn’t mean it’s always easy! Even if you’re a pro at it - your baby isn’t, and it’s a journey of learning together. With every baby. Every time.

our Breastfeeding Support Service

We understand how exciting and overwhelming becoming a Mum can be, and our care is flexible to meet your individual needs. Most of the time (>90%), we can help breastfeeding issues remotely via Zoom, and our service is free with a Medicare card where-ever you are, Australia-wide. We are here for you for the first 6 weeks with your new baby, on hand to offer support, guidance and advice for your early parenting and breastfeeding needs.

As private midwives, our breastfeeding support service boasts a 96% breastfeeding success rate.

👶 we help with:

  • How breastfeeding works and what to expect in the first days.

  • How to increase your supply.

  • How to manage over-supply.

  • How to transition from expressing to breastfeeding.

  • How to transition from breastfeeding to expressing.

  • Going back to work.

  • Positioning and attachment techniques.

  • Expressing milk.

  • Feeding charts.

  • How often your baby should feed.

  • How to now if your baby is getting enough milk.

  • Recognising early signs of feeding challenges so that you can reach out to us before small issues become big problems.

  • Tongue ties.

  • Cracked, damaged, grazed nipples.

  • Mastitis.

  • Thrush.

  • Low supply.

  • Inverted / flat nipples.

  • Nipple vasospasm.

  • Breastfeeding education.

  • Antenatal expressing.

  • Tips and tricks to help get breastfeeding off to a good start.

  • Breastfeeding self-assessment tools.

Dial a midwife’s breastfeeding service is:

  • Free with a Medicare card

  • Available Australia-wide

  • Available 7 days a week

  • Provided by midwives who are specialists in breastfeeding

👉 Book today

Accessible and convenient

No matter where you are in Australia, you can book a telehealth (or phone) consultation with your midwife. We offer video and phone consults for women in the privacy and comfort of their own home. For new parents and families in rural and remote Australia, it is comforting to know that a midwife is only a call away. 

Highly Trained Midwives

All of our midwives are not only registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia, but also endorsed. Endorsement is available to midwives upon application after completion of at least 5,000 hours of practice and obtaining additional qualifications. Endorsed midwives have a Medicare Provider Number and PBS Prescriber Number. 

Our midwives are experienced in all settings - clinics, public hospitals, private hospitals, birth centre, homebirth, private practice and obstetric services.

available

We offer flexible times for appointments and if you need a same-day appointment, we will always try to accommodate you. Use our service as little – or as much – as you need. We encourage continuity of care and would love to be by your side, online, as you journey through your pregnancy and experience the first few weeks with your new baby. We offer home visits for Sydney-based patients (an additional fee may apply).

Bulk-Billing – free care for Medicare card holders

If you have a Medicare card, our phone and video consults are fully covered by Medicare - there is no out-of-pocket fee or gap with a Medicare card. We’re unable to assist if you are outside of Australia or if you’re currently in hospital, and without a valid Medicare card, a small fee will apply.

Supplement your care

We’re super keen to bridge the gap in care between going home from hospital with your baby, and the 6-week check. We also know from experience that many women feel anxious, leave appointments with unanswered questions and find it so helpful to have a single, trusted midwife on the end of the phone throughout pregnancy and for the first six weeks after the birth of their baby.

midwifery continuity of care

Ad private midwives, we offer care for women as early as a missed period, throughout pregnancy and for the first 6 weeks of baby’s life. For many women, our service will provide the only source of continuity and consistency throughout their birthing year.