Breastfeeding drive in international honour

Oct 23 2008 by Debbie Spalding, West Lothian Courier

ST John’s Hospital is on track to achieve an international award for its innovative work in promoting breastfeeding.

Maternity staff at the hospital are on the way to collecting the coveted UNICEF Baby Friendly status for their commitment to improving the lifelong health of mums and babies.

It will become one of 14 centres of excellence in Scotland dedicated to promoting and encouraging more women to breastfeed and in turn give children the best start in life.

Breast milk is known to help protect mums and babies from a variety of illnesses and women and their babies born at St John’s are already experiencing the benefits of the programme.

Rates of breastfeeding have soared by up to six per cent on last year and NHS Lothian midwives and mums are working together to aim even higher.

Specially trained midwives at St John’s teach women the importance of skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth to encourage baby to feed.

They then ensure that tots are allowed to stay with their mums 24 hours-a-day while in hospital to strengthen and reinforce the bond between the two.

Each woman is also shown the most effective and pain-free feeding techniques for breastfeeding.

A drop-in clinic to help women who are having difficulties breastfeeding or just need extra support will be also created at St John’s as well as a buddy scheme for newly trained midwives.

Maria Wilson, chief midwife of NHS Lothian, explained: “Mothers and babies are already feeling the benefits because we are helping them to feed their babies the way they want to feed them.

“The benefits of breastfeeding will be explained to new mums, but for a variety of reasons it can still be difficult. Therefore we want to support women through the challenges and prevent them from taking the decision to stop.”

NHS Lothian has developed a strategy to promote breastfeeding and has appointed infant feeding adviser, Karla Napier, as well as a dedicated adviser at St John’s, Melissa Kallat, to ensure a better experience for women and newborns.

They said they are working towards the prestigious award in partnership to make St John’s care some of the best in the country.

In 2007, the numbers of babies being breastfed when discharged from St John’s totalled 49 per cent and the figure for the same period so far this year has reached 55 per cent.

Karla added: “Women are asking us for this help and the West Lothian model is excellent because it involves the hospital, the council, public health and university.”