Breastfeeding rates rise in Paisley following pilot NHS programme for mums and babies

Breastfeeding rates in Paisley have increased after a local project run by the health board supported new mothers through the experience.

Mums have been given extra support to breastfeed through a pilot programme run by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

The initiative has seen a rise in the number of mums continuing to breastfeed after they left the Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley.

Mums who participated in the project all had various challenges during their pregnancy but the decision to keep breastfeeding was made easier with the right help.

Stephanie Dunne’s son Cillian was born under general anaesthetic. He has some developmental challenges and mainly feeds from a tube, but he can also take milk from his mum.

Baby Cillian with mum Stephanie STV News

She told STV News: “We did notice issues initially, he was also really, really sleepy. We know he can feed. He was quite good at breastfeeding; he just didn’t quite have the stamina to do it.

“We’ve still been able to breastfeed him even though he has a tube, we offer it to him whenever we can, even though he doesn’t take much.”

The dedicated support for mothers to continue with breastfeeding after their time in hospital has been unlike other help on offer from the NHS.

Helen-Anne Buchan, mum to Samuel, said: “This was very different to my first baby. Having bottle fed my eldest and now breastfed my youngest, it was just way different – a fantastic experience and a great programme.”

Another parent who took part in the project said it made her breastfeeding journey much easier than she’d anticipated.

Sarah McCall, mum to Millie Rose, said: “The support we got was absolutely incredible. Without that, I don’t know if it would have been a success.

“The maternity care team were just so patient and spent as much time as possible with me and Millie Rose to make sure it was a success.”

Breastfeeding rates have increased across the country within the last decade – 33% of babies aged six to eight weeks were exclusively breastfed last year.

For mothers who’re part of the Paisley project, that figure was 39%.

Jennifer McArthur, one of the maternity care assistants involved in the project, said: “It’s quite apparent when you’re working on the wards that there are more women trying breastfeeding initially and with the right support, can hopefully continue.

“The World Health Organisation recommend that all babies are exclusively breastfed until 6 months but, in the UK, only 1%. It’s quite a big difference.”

The project run by the health board involved offering additional antenatal workshops, one-on-one sessions, and home visits from the maternity team.

Maternity care assistant Rosi Tudhope said: “We’ve been supporting them up to six weeks postnatally. We’ve been doing extra home visits and phone calls, just checking in.

“We have a dedicated phone number mums can call or text any time if they have any concerns and we’ve been able to jump out on the same day to go see them. It’s been great.”