Hello and thank you for your interest in helping us

Mothers and families work hard to make sure their babies have the food they need to grow and be healthy. Information or support can sometimes help parents make decisions to get feeding off to a good start. We are working on a long-term plan (also known as a strategy) to make sure mothers and families get the support they need with baby feeding. You can help by telling us about your experiences and what would have made things easier for you.

What is infant feeding?

‘Infant feeding’ is any way of giving a baby food. This could be formula or breastmilk – and as the baby gets older it will include solid food. Babies may be fed directly at the breast or fed breastmilk or formula from a bottle, cup or tube. Some babies will get donor milk from a milk bank. Many families do a mix of these things at different times.

What information or support might be needed?

Mothers and families might need:

• Information to help them decide how to feed their baby and to learn how to do that well
• Help with the baby’s first feeds and support to deal with any difficulties
• Information about how and when to introduce solid foods

Mothers might also need support from those around them. For example:

• Employers knowing how to help them when they return to work
• Local cafes being friendly and welcoming

How can you help us?

We want mothers and families to be at the heart of this long-term plan.

We are asking you to fill out a survey about your experience of feeding your baby. You may have fed your baby formula or breastmilk or both. If you live in Bristol, North Somerset or South Gloucestershire and have had your baby in the last three years, we would like to hear from you.

We would also like to hear directly from mothers, fathers and anyone with recent experience of feeding a baby about this experience and what you would want to see in an infant feeding plan. Please contact us if you would like to speak with one of the people doing the study or to send us your ideas in writing.

What are the benefits of helping us?

By sharing your experiences and ideas with us, you will help us to write an effective plan that will:

• Help mothers to feel confident in their decisions about feeding their babies
• Make sure all parents and carers can get high quality support when they need it to help them overcome any difficulties.
• Raise awareness among local employers, businesses and services so that mothers feel supported by those around them to feed their baby in the way that works best for them.

All of this will help to make sure that babies grow up healthy while also protecting mothers’ physical and mental health.

We’d love to hear what you think would help to make sure every family gets the support they need.

Contact us

If you have any questions or would like to find out more about this project, contact Hannah Lynes on hannah@betterbreastfeeding.uk.

Note on use of language In this survey we use the terms mother and breastfeeding. We know that not everyone who gives birth uses these terms. One of our key aims is to make sure that support services are inclusive. We are working with local groups to help us achieve this.