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What helps mothers maintain breastfeeding
1
University of Salford, Midwifery, Salford, United Kingdom
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A787
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
A council in northwest England, commissioned an evaluation to explore barriers to breastfeeding (BF) continuation beyond 8 weeks and assess current support provision.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify factors that enable or inhibit BF, understand service accessibility via family hubs, and explore disparities across ethnic and socio-economic groups. Recruitment was challenging and required re-development.
METHODS:
A qualitative approach was adopted; recruiting mothers who had stopped breastfeeding before 8 weeks and health professional (HPs) Interviews & focus groups were conducted, including 24 mothers, 2 midwives, 2 baby friendly support workers (BFSW) & 2 health visitors.
RESULTS:
Thematic analysis revealed 3 key themes: Support: BFSWs were vital for early and continued support, facilitating referrals to infant feeding specialist midwives. Family attitudes strongly influenced continuation. Ethnic minority mothers valued home support especially and were less likely to access group services. HP's support was valued, but could be inconsistent including referral to specialist services. BF specialists were highly valued Education: Mothers reported limited antenatal education and some inconsistent professional advice, particularly regarding tongue tie. Partners’ education was highlighted as crucial. Health professionals (HPs) expressed satisfaction with training and noted low uptake of antenatal sessions. Communication: Some mothers found information confusing or inaccessible; often relying on friends or social media and were often unsure or unaware of family hub services. HPs & mothers cited inconsistent discharge communication and referral to BF services, also inconsistent quality of family hub staff when making initial BF phone contact & promoting BF services.
CONCLUSIONS:
BF services were highly valued and effective when accessed. Improvements in communication via a variety of media and flexible antenatal education offered outside office hours would be beneficial. Investment in more BFSWs, ongoing training & research to address the diverse needs of mothers & partners would support BF continuation.
KEY MESSAGE:
Communication is key to ensuring BF services are accessible to support continuation. Poster session 3 (Group B)
A council in northwest England, commissioned an evaluation to explore barriers to breastfeeding (BF) continuation beyond 8 weeks and assess current support provision.
OBJECTIVES:
To identify factors that enable or inhibit BF, understand service accessibility via family hubs, and explore disparities across ethnic and socio-economic groups. Recruitment was challenging and required re-development.
METHODS:
A qualitative approach was adopted; recruiting mothers who had stopped breastfeeding before 8 weeks and health professional (HPs) Interviews & focus groups were conducted, including 24 mothers, 2 midwives, 2 baby friendly support workers (BFSW) & 2 health visitors.
RESULTS:
Thematic analysis revealed 3 key themes: Support: BFSWs were vital for early and continued support, facilitating referrals to infant feeding specialist midwives. Family attitudes strongly influenced continuation. Ethnic minority mothers valued home support especially and were less likely to access group services. HP's support was valued, but could be inconsistent including referral to specialist services. BF specialists were highly valued Education: Mothers reported limited antenatal education and some inconsistent professional advice, particularly regarding tongue tie. Partners’ education was highlighted as crucial. Health professionals (HPs) expressed satisfaction with training and noted low uptake of antenatal sessions. Communication: Some mothers found information confusing or inaccessible; often relying on friends or social media and were often unsure or unaware of family hub services. HPs & mothers cited inconsistent discharge communication and referral to BF services, also inconsistent quality of family hub staff when making initial BF phone contact & promoting BF services.
CONCLUSIONS:
BF services were highly valued and effective when accessed. Improvements in communication via a variety of media and flexible antenatal education offered outside office hours would be beneficial. Investment in more BFSWs, ongoing training & research to address the diverse needs of mothers & partners would support BF continuation.
KEY MESSAGE:
Communication is key to ensuring BF services are accessible to support continuation. Poster session 3 (Group B)
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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