Breastfeeding boost nominated for national award

Tuesday 6 December 2016


20161206-breastfeeding

A project that supports new mothers to breastfeed for longer has been shortlisted for a prestigious award in the Royal College of Midwives (RCM) Annual Midwifery Awards.

The project is in the Slimming World Award for Partnership Working category.

In Lambeth the number of women still breastfeeding when their baby was 6-8 weeks old has traditionally been lower than in other parts of England.

To improve breastfeeding rates a team led by consultant midwife Nina Khazaezadeh brought togehter a range of different health services to listen to the needs of families.

As a result, nine breastfeeding cafes, known as Milkspots, have been set up in Lambeth. Here, families can get practical support and consistent information from midwives, health visitors and specially-trained peer support workers.

Nina says: “Breastfeeding rates are really high when mothers have just given birth, but we found that in Lambeth, those rates declined really quickly when babies were about 6 weeks old. Parents just weren’t getting the right information or support.

“Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of illnesses – and the longer you breastfeed your baby, the more the benefit. We want to ensure that all mums are getting the support they need to continue breastfeeding for as long as they want.

“We’re really proud of this project because it makes such a practical difference to mothers and babies. So many people have played a part and it’s great to have our work recognised by the RCM.”

Cathy Warwick, Chief Executive of the RCM, said: “Just to be shortlisted is a great achievement and I congratulate the team on getting this far. This award highlights how health professionals working together in collaboration can improve services and the care women receive. I wish the team the best of luck at the awards ceremony.”

  • For information about Milkspots call 07950 719 643 or visit the Facebook page.

Last updated: October 2023

Contact us

Media enquiries
Phone: 020 7188 5577
Email: [email protected]