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The Breastfeeding Network. Set up and evaluation of a new peer support service in Ayrshire Dr Larissa Kempenaar , Research and Evaluation team and Sarah Edwards, Service Manager. The Breastfeeding Network.
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The Breastfeeding Network Set up and evaluation of a new peer support service in Ayrshire Dr Larissa Kempenaar, Research and Evaluation team and Sarah Edwards, Service Manager
The Breastfeeding Network • Independent source of support and information for breastfeeding women and their families • Offer peer support delivered through – • funded peer support services • Breastfeeding support centres • BfN Supporterline/National Breastfeeding Helpline
BfN in Ayrshire • Active since 2002 • Funded by a mix of LA and NHS • From Sept 2008 until March 2011 funded by CEL36 • New funding: Sept 2011 from Inspiring Scotland ‘Early Years Early Action’ fund
Service Outcomes 1. Babies have mothers who have improved self-belief (incl. mothers receiving support and mothers giving support) 2. Better physical and mental health of the baby in the short and long term 3. Babies are raised by mothers who have better social networks which are supportive of breastfeeding
Service Outline • Ayrshire wide service offered to all mums who initiate breastfeeding • Peer support in the maternity unit • If a mum consents: estimated discharge date and contact details passed to community coordinators • Community coordinators aim to contact mums within 48 hours of discharge • Support offered daily for 14 days after discharge; then as requested until baby is approx. 6 weeks old • Home visits, telephone and text, 8 breastfeeding centres
Service set up • Funding received 1st Oct, staff recruited and started 14th Nov • 15 members of staff doing 6.3 FTE • Full service started 5th Dec • Able to work closely with NHS Ayrshire and Arran
Evaluation • Outputs (activities) • Outcomes: Action research including stakeholders • Qualitative • Quantitative
Outputs • Number of mums supported in hospital: 167 (5/12/2011-14/02/2012) • Number of mums consented to service: 100 (60%) • Number of contacts with mums in hospital: 261 • Number of contacts with mums in community: 523 • Types of contact: text: 413 (60%), phone: 170 (33%), F2F: 28 (5%)
Outcomes • 24 mums had 6 weeks of support and completed evaluations • Still breastfeeding at 6 weeks? • Yes – 13 (54%) mums No – 11 (46%) mums • Exclusivity • Exclusive (no formula in last 24 hours) – 9 (69%) • Exclusive (no formula ever) – 6 (46%)
Outcomes (cont’d) • Did support from the BfN affect the length of time you breastfed for? • Yes – 11 No – 2 “Support has given confidence to breastfeed and good to have a point of contact to answer questions and provide reliable information”
Outcomes (cont’d) • Mums who stopped breastfeeding (11) • Breastfed for between 2-42 days (av. 14 Days) • 5 women said that support from the BfN affected the length of time they breastfed for • 6 women said that the support from the BfN did not affect the length of time they fed for “Felt it was a physical problem I had rather than anything (the BfN) could have helped with”
Challenges so far • Consent • Peer supporters • Hours • Caseload • Proactive support • Text vs Telephone • Training for supporting on the phone
Ongoing learning • Need for supervision • Scheduled and ad hoc • Outside the service • Transition from volunteer to paid service • Ongoing support at breastfeeding centres • Recording volunteering hours
Conclusions • Positive initial feedback • Still early days for service and evaluation • Focus groups should give us useful information • Overall impression from mums very positive “Helpful as struggling in first few days. Seeing PS very relaxed in my own home. Made a huge difference with no pressure” “Support was really great. Fed for longer than I would have otherwise without support”
