Our Infant Feeding Team highlighting benefits of breastfeeding
During this year’s World Breastfeeding Week (1 – 7 August) our Infant Feeding team has been passionately spreading the word about its many benefits after seeing an increase in the number of mums starting to breastfeed since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began.
Over recent months our breastfeeding initiation amongst new mothers has increased to 82 per cent - an increase of more than 10 per cent on this time last year (2019), with more new mums being expertly supported by our dedicated team.
Breastfeeding isn’t always easy. It can be a challenging but there’s lots of support and information available to help. It’s important that those trying don’t feel pressured and understand it can take a little time to get going, but its many benefits make the potential perseverance worthwhile.
A mother’s breast milk is perfectly designed for her baby, it’s a great way of bonding with baby as it comforts him or her, while the milk not only provides essential nutrients for growth but builds baby’s immune system to protect against infections and diseases.
Breast milk is always available for your baby (at the right temperature) when they need it, providing health benefits for mum too and is free, so saves money on infant formula, sterilising and feeding equipment, which can be costly. It’s also better for the environment.
New mums should also remember that even if they’ve already been formula feeding for a few days but changed their mind it’s not too late to start breastfeeding.
As the world changed a few months ago our dedicated Infant Feeding team worked hard to offer extra resources which has included social media communications, five new interactive online sessions and an extended telephone/video call support service, which now runs seven days a week.
Virtual workshops, education for health care professionals, infant feeding packs, and increased numbers of breast pumps were also provided to support mums. The challenges of lockdown were not going to stop our team supporting the women and babies of Birmingham; they loaned out 112 electric breast pumps and sent out over 1800 hand expression kits to mums and mums-to-be.
Our team are also communicating together and with other specialists via huddles, WhatsApp groups and closed Facebook closed groups. We are also reaching mothers and staff in a wider variety of ways now rather than just face-to-face, very much reflecting how people now shop, learn and communicate in wider society.
Not only did our Infant Feeding team’s resources grow but they also increased in size to a now strong seven member team with a variety of thoughts and ideas on how they work as a team to better their services.
Infant Feeding Specialist Midwife, Leanne Cruickshanks said
“Our team is committed to continually aiming to improve and adapt the infant feeding service to support all women in their feeding journeys.
“Sharing evidence based care with health care professionals and families is essential and centring the support we give around each individual baby and family is our focus. The adaptations families have made around this unique time is highly commendable and the fact more babies are receiving breast milk will have a lifelong positive impact on health of mothers and their babies.”
For more information please visit our dedicated pages on our website.