Point 4 of the Seven Point Plan for supporting breastfeeding in community health-care settings requires that mothers be given information and support to help them to cope with night-time feeds. Staff therefore need to be guided to have a discussion about strategies which will make night-time feeds easier such as learning to feed lying down, keeping their baby close and issues related to bed-sharing, taking into account the individual circumstances of the family.
Click here to read Point 4 of the Implementation Guidance.
In hospital it is recommended that a bed-sharing policy be in place to ensure the safety of mother and baby.
In order to ensure mothers receive effective care the following should be standard practice within the Trust:
When is this care assessed?
This will be assessed at Stage 1 by review of:
And at Stage 2 by:
- Interviewing a cohort of staff and asking them questions about basic breastfeeding management
- Reviewing training records.
And at Stage 3 by:
- Interviewing a cohort of breastfeeding mothers to ensure they have received an explanation about how to cope with night-time feeds
- Reviewing all written information to ensure it is accurate and effective.
For more details refer to the Implementation Guidance.
