Breastfeeding planning card feasibility study

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Feasibility study of delivery of a breastfeeding planning card as part of standard antenatal care

  • IRAS ID

    316125

  • Contact name

    David Comerford

  • Contact email

    david.comerford@stir.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University of Stirling

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    1 years, 2 months, 2 days

  • Research summary

    This project builds on a pilot study in which we delivered a breastfeeding planning card to women who were at least 36 weeks pregnant. The planning card reduced drop-off from breastfeeding by 10-14 days postpartum four-fold.
    Our pilot study suggests that if midwives in Scotland were to deliver this planning card then rates of breastfeeding maintenance would increase.
    This project will use interviews and focus groups to test whether it is feasible to deliver the card as part of standard antenatal care.
    We will design a procedure for delivering the cards as part of antenatal midwifery appointments by drawing on the expertise of key stakeholders: midwives, infant feeding practitioners, expectant mothers, breastfeeding mothers and the wider research team.
    We will test the resultant procedure of delivering the cards and follow up by survey with mothers on their experience of receiving the cards and by focus groups with midwives to assess their experiences of delivering the cards.
    We will also test through surveys of women who are breastfeeding whether the breastfeeding self-efficacy scale short-form is valid for use in a Scottish sample.

  • REC name

    West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    22/WM/0168

  • Date of REC Opinion

    17 Aug 2022

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion