Hundreds of new mums are receiving specialist support from the Plymouth-wide Infant Feeding Team. The aim is to ensure parents receive evidence-based information, so they can make informed choices about what is best for their baby.
Jenny was supported by the team. She first met Livewell Southwest Infant Feeding Support Worker Jasmine Woolley at home to discuss feeding options. When her daughter was born, they met again in hospital, and then once they were home, so Jasmine could offer any support she needed with breastfeeding.
Jenny and baby Esme
Jenny recalls: “For the first five weeks I was probably feeding Esme an average of about 25 times a day, for upwards of nine hours solidly a day. Jasmine’s support has been the single most important part of my parenthood journey so far, and I think without expertise and reassurance, I would have probably felt inadequate as a mum. I would have probably equated the amount of feeding she was doing to the fact that my supply wasn’t enough, which is mostly a myth, which I didn’t really know until I had someone like Jasmine there, holding my hand through that kind of cluster feeding process.
“The proof is in the pudding. Esme is gaining an incredible amount of weight every week. She is doing really well.”
In the six months to June 2025, the Plymouth-wide Infant Feeding Team spoke to nearly 1000 parents in Plymouth.
Infant Feeding Team Support Worker Jasmine Woolley
Jasmine Woolley, Infant Feeding Support Worker said: “We hope this will mean we see a generation of parents that feel really confident about the choices they made. It means that when you look back in 20 years’ time and you say to your children, who might be pregnant or having their children, I chose to feed my baby like this and it went really well, and I feel proud of what I achieved.”
Jessica was supported with combi feeding Amelia after she was born ten weeks premature
Amelia got advice on breastfeeding baby James
The Plymouth-wide Infant Feeding Team includes specialists from Livewell Southwest, University Hospital Plymouth Maternity Service and Family Hubs. Our teams include Infant Feeding Leads, Infant Feeding Support Workers, Infant Feeding Champions, Peer Supporters and a Health Improvement Practitioner.
There are three services.
Universal support
Every new mum receives a telephone call two days after they have been discharged from hospital. This is to discuss feeding and to talk about the breastfeeding support services in the city. If they have chosen to formula feed, they talk about how to do this in safest way possible.
Enhanced support
There is more targeted support for women who may struggle to access the support they need or have more complex medical needs during pregnancy.
They are contacted before giving birth, to offer them a meeting at home to talk about feeding before the birth of their baby, and to discuss the support that is available. Once baby arrives, the team are on hand to support with any questions or concerns parents may have, either at home, in a group session at a Family Hub or over the phone.
Complex feeding challenges support
The team work alongside the Public Health Nursing Service, as well as other NHS services such as GPs and Perinatal Mental Health Teams to help babies who have slow weight gain or complex medical needs. This tailored support ensures families get the help they need from the right medical professionals.
The team is also committed to promoting the kite mark scheme to make sure women feel comfortable breast feeding wherever they are. There are now 135 breastfeeding welcome venues across the city. They display a sign so that parents and carers know they can breastfeed a baby with confidence, in a welcoming environment, and with a positive attitude from all the staff who work there.
Infant Feeding Team Lead Tracy Nichols
Tracy Nichols Infant Feeding Lead for Livewell Southwest said: “Supporting and offering education about feeding is really important to enable parents to make informed decisions about the way they would like to feed their baby. We want everyone to reach their own personal feeding goals, however evidence tells us that eight out of ten women stop breast feeding before they have wanted to, because they haven’t been able to access the support they need. The Infant Feeding Service aims to bridge this gap.
“We have received valuable feedback from parents who described our team as approachable and friendly. They said they have been treated with dignity, respect, compassion and kindness, and also reported feeling more confident in their feeding choices, knowing where to access support and continued to breastfeed longer than they might have done without help from the Infant Feeding Team.’’
