This in from IW NHS in their own words. Ed
The Baby Friendly Initiative, part of the World Health Organisation and Unicef, provides a framework of best practice standards which healthcare facilities can implement and develop.
The aim is to equip women with all the necessary information to be able to make an informed choice on how to feed their baby and provide parents with the best possible care to build those vital relationships with their baby.
Jo Aspden, Midwife and Baby Friendly Project Lead, said:
“Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative is considered the ‘gold standard’ of training and practice to promote breastfeeding for maternity, health visiting, neonatal and children’s centres services and we are delighted to have achieved Stage 1 as it proves our commitment to providing excellent services to pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.”
Jo continued:
“Since being awarded our Certificate of Commitment last year we have worked hard to ensure we implement and strengthen best practice across all areas of our services with support from IW Council. Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to care for your baby, so it’s vital for mums to receive all the information, support and encouragement they need to achieve this.”
Heading to Stage 2
Stage 1 of the baby friendly initiative requires commitment from the organisation to provide training and an established curriculum for those involved in the care of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, as well as creating a breastfeeding policy and information leaflets for patients and services.
Moving forward the Trust will be working to achieve Stage 2, which involves an assessment of their knowledge and skills around breastfeeding.
