An NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde project, funded by the Scottish Government, and aimed at increasing breastfeeding rates in Paisley has reported success in its first year.
Over 80% of women in the PA2 postcode area who participated in the infant feeding project were breastfeeding or providing breastmilk at the time of discharge from the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH). Additionally, 70% continued to breastfeed or provide breastmilk 10-14 days post-birth.
This achievement followed the efforts of the NHSGGC Infant Feeding Team and the RAH Maternity Care Assistants (MCAs) who spearheaded the pilot, known internally as the ‘PA2 Project’.
As part of the PA2 Project, MCAs Rosalyn Tudhope and Jennifer McArthur provided antenatal infant feeding conversations focusing on early newborn behaviour and getting women breastfeeding off to a good start. They offered antenatal workshops, one-on-one sessions, and home visits during pregnancy. This was followed by early support in the postnatal wards when the babies were born. Once the mothers and their babies were discharged, Rosalyn and Jennifer continued to offer home visits and additional support for up to six weeks.
Rosalyn said:
“We aim to empower mums to make a truly informed choice regarding feeding their baby by educating them antenatally on the short and long-term benefits of breastfeeding. We then provide practical support for the first six weeks of a baby’s life, tailored to each mum and baby’s needs to assist them with overcoming any challenges that may arise.
“Jen and I designed the project with continuity of care in mind and have had some lovely feedback from our women. It is a privilege to get to know them and their families on a more personal level throughout their pregnancy and beyond.”
Jennifer said:
“There is a lot of conflicting information available regarding breastfeeding, especially nowadays with social media. Our aim is to provide women with evidence-based, up-to-date information to support their feeding journey.
“We also encourage our women to seek out further support once our input has ended, such as attending the local breastfeeding groups run by the Breastfeeding Network and National Childbirth Trust.
“I feel extremely lucky to be part of the project and am passionate and committed to its purpose. I hope that we can expand it in future as every family should have access to the support that they require to achieve their breastfeeding goals.”
The PA2 location was selected due to its proximity to the RAH and the diverse Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) groups residing in the area. This opt-in service was a pilot to test whether a targeted approach across all SIMD groups would increase breastfeeding rates. By December 2024, the project had supported 246 women and achieved a 70% uptake.
Stephanie Dunne, Helen Buchan, and Sarah McCall all gave birth at the Royal Alexandra Hospital (RAH) Maternity Unit in the past 12 months. Each of them had different breastfeeding experiences but each were able to successfully do so for their newborns thanks to the support of Jennifer and Rosalyn.
Having struggled to breastfeed with her first baby in 2020, Helen Buchan tried again with her son, Samuel (1), while part of the project. She said:
“When you start breastfeeding, in the middle of the night, thoughts can creep in, and you start to feel like it is never going to work.
“Being part of this program was good as I had daily discussions on how I was getting on. It was fantastic as the chats were like a pep talk to keep going until eventually, my milk established, and it was great. Samuel got around seven and a half months feeding from me and I never seen that coming. It is fantastic.”
Sarah McCall shared her story with daughter, Millie Rose. She said:
“Breastfeeding was something I always wanted to do, even before Millie was born. I was very fortunate that Millie latched well, and it seemed to be successful. The part for me that made me relax was that I was going to have continued support when I went home.
“The team really supported me in getting it right and I honestly can’t thank them enough. What I found most helpful was the accessibility and the approachability of the Midwife Care Assistants. They were only ever a text or phone call away, they proactively reached out to us and checked in on us at regular intervals.”
Stephanie Dunne shared her experience with her son, Cillian (8 months). She said:
“It was reassuring and gave peace of mind knowing that I could just contact Rosalyn or Jennifer. As it was always the same two people, I was able to get to know them while pregnant and then it wasn’t daunting to ask for help. It was also good that there was consistency with advice, and they knew our story.”
For more information of breastfeeding contact your midwife or visit: https://www.parentclub.scot/topics/feeding-your-baby
