Increasing access to breastfeeding support for women experiencing health inequity
Health Innovation South West supported Healthy Babies UK (HBUK) to provide antenatal and postnatal support to women experiencing health inequity from areas of deprivation in Mid Devon.
The targeted antenatal sessions gave women a better understanding of what to expect around giving birth and breastfeeding, and focused on increasing the numbers of mothers who initiated and maintained breastfeeding for as long as they and their child wanted.
A breastfeeding peer supporter training course was also offered to women who had attended the antenatal course and had lived experience of health inequity.
Health Innovation South West Innovator support team also helped HBUK develop its substantial portfolio of products into a range of value propositions for different potential customers such as GPs, maternity leads and community partners.
This in turn is expected to support the growth and development of the business in the next few years.
- 100% of the women who participated in the sessions said that the brief antenatal course helped them to breastfeed their baby.
- 80% of the women said the course helped them breastfeed their baby for longer than if they had not attended the course.
- Peer support groups allowed women to socialise and to offer and receive support from others living with shared experiences.
It was nice to just be able to speak to other mums who had similar or totally different problems, but everyone had some kind of issue going on. And we’re persevering, and we’re just talking about it really openly.
Session participant
