Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly in Wales: context, findings and recommendations

In Wales, whilst over 60% of women intend to breastfeed, the figure falls to 26% reporting any breastfeeding at 6 weeks. There is considerable variation among Health Boards and breastfeeding rates are lower among some groups, exacerbating health inequalities. Sustained intervention is required to both improve the experience of breastfeeding for women, babies and families, and advance towards the WHO’s 2025 global target of increasing exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months to at least 50%. Supported by the University of Kent and facilitated by Public Health Wales, a Welsh Committee of experts worked from April 2018 to February 2019 to deliver the 5 step Becoming Breastfeeding Friendly (BBF) process: a) to measure the current breastfeeding environment b) to develop a plan to implement recommendations to guide the scaling up of national breastfeeding protection, promotion and support efforts. This presentation documents the process, findings for Wales and the set of six evidence based recommendation themes. Combined action on these recommendations will strengthen and promote the breastfeeding environment for all mothers and babies in Wales.