$500,000 donation means breastfeeding advice can be available 24/7

Lactation specialists will be available to mums around the clock. Photo/File

New mothers will now have access to breastfeeding help and advice around the clock.

From the end of this month, all PlunketLine staff will be trained lactation specialists who will be able to support breastfeeding mums at any time of day or night thanks to a $500,000 donation from the Wright Family Foundation.

The donation also allowed Plunket to offer video calling technology so mums could show the lactation consultant how the baby was latching allowing them to offer better, more targeted advice.

Among the new services offered will be follow-up calls the next day to breastfeeding mothers who had been assisted with issues during the night.

Plunket chief executive Amanda Malu said the donation would allow them to provide more intensive support at the right time and help support sustained, exclusive breastfeeding.

"In the last year, Plunket received more than 20,000 calls related to breastfeeding alone," Malu said.

"Plunket has a key role in supporting mothers to breastfeed, and we're thrilled to be able to now offer even better support to New Zealand mothers."

Chloe Wright, chief executive of the Wright Family Foundation, said the foundation shared Plunket's vision of providing the best start in life for the children of New Zealand.

"It's great news that Plunket can now introduce follow-up phone calls for mothers that ring in with breastfeeding issues. So often these problems happen in the middle of the night when mum is exhausted and needs to get baby to sleep.

"By having lactation consultants available at night, each mum can get the immediate help she needs to settle her baby, and then the next day she'll get a call back from a lactation consultant to address any other concerns when baby has stopped crying and she's feeling calmer."

Online videos and podcasts offering advice to mothers would also be available.