Perinatal Outreach Support in Bournemouth
The Pitch
Problem statement
In the UK, 80% of women stop breastfeeding before they feel ready due to inadequate statutory support. This can lead to women not experiencing the health benefits that breastfeeding brings including a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers, osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease & obesity. Breastfed babies have a reduced risk of ear, chest and gut infections and of Sudden Infant Death syndrome. Being able to breastfeed also reduces the chances of postnatal depression. This is all evidenced based and backed by the NHS, WHO and UNICEF. We are targeting Bournemouth and Boscombe as areas of need because 43% of the population living in poverty. NHS midwives refer families to our projects.
Solution
We have a weekly face-to-face Breastfeeding & Perinatal Support Group in partnership at Bournemouth Food bank. The group provides a warm & welcoming space for families to: receive free expert support, enjoy free refreshments, link to other services including mental health services & financial support services.In order to encourage harder to reach families to come to the group, our Outreach service will travel to deprived areas and use our Breastfeeding Support Bus to provide immediate breastfeeding & mental health support to families. Eventually, those families may gain the confidence to visit the group and link with others in the local community, providing support to one another.
Why are we best placed to deliver?
The project is run by International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) who train at postgraduate level. The IBCLC's use evidence based research to support parents & have many years of training & experience to draw upon. Sadly, whilst providing many excellent services, most hospitals do not provide the expert support that new mothers need & this can lead to long term trauma and postnatal depression. We are well connected in Bournemouth & have a partnership with Bournemouth Foodbank which is a crucial part of the project, enabling us reach many families & to link them with local resources. We have two published authors on infant feeding as Trustees.
Focus Areas
Delivery plan
Budget breakdown
| Venue hire | £1,350 |
| Costs of staffing group with International Board Certified Lactation Consultanta | £650 |
Beneficiaries
180 people
Who will benefit
Expected impact
The mental health of mothers will be improved through accessing professional breastfeeding support. Breastfeeding reduces the chances of postnatal depression (BBC) and women who plan to breastfeed but are unable to do so, increase their risk of developing postnatal depression. We know that for some women, breastfeeding won’t be possible for a number of reasons, and this can cause long-term trauma (British Journal of Midwifery). Families coming to this project will feel more informed about breastfeeding and how it can support their baby/infant, feeling empowered and at peace with their feeding journey, however it unfolds. Families will benefit financially from the cost savings breastfeeding brings as well as by accessing hot nutritious meals through the Foodbank Café. Families attending our group will be given a preloaded payment card to ‘pay’ for food, and therefore no one will know whether they’ve paid for the food themselves or been given a card.
Track record
“As a midwife; I see that we are not able to provide sufficient support to women; birthing people and their families. It is sad but services like Maddie’s Miracle are essential to ensuring families are well supported”. “I just wanted to say a massive ‘Thankyou’ for warmly welcoming me to your lovely group yesterday. I came along looking for support as I knew something wasn’t quite right about my technique or bubbas latch as he was very unsettled especially during the day. After speaking with Jo and her giving me some tips we are already seeing great improvements. Thankyou Jo Looking forward to next week already.” “Essential to a breastfeeding mother's toolkit! Mummies looking for advice, support, like-minded people, don't hesitate to go to this group! The wealth of advice and experience between Jo and Sarah is incredible; whether it's feeding, birth chat, a listening ear!”