Women To Get Extra Help With Breastfeeding

4 February 2011, 06:36 | Updated: 16 February 2011, 14:22

More women will be getting help with learning how to breastfeed.

A new Breastfeeding ambassador will be going into West Suffolk and Ipswich hospitals and coming up with ways to help new mums and give them advice.

In the new Department of Health funded role, Linda Page will be delivering educational and support services to women throughout the county and promoting the health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby.

Commenting on her new role, Linda said: “For the last 20 years I have been involved in supporting breastfeeding and have been a practicising midwife for more than a decade, most recently at Ipswich Hospital.

“In my role with NHS Suffolk I will be encouraging new mothers to take up breastfeeding as well as working with Ipswich and West Suffolk hospitals as they work towards achieving their Baby Friendly Hospital accreditation, which acknowledges a hospital’s commitment to support breastfeeding.

“It is important to recognise the many benefits of breastfeeding. On average, breastfed babies have fewer infections, and in particular they suffer less diarrhoea and vomiting, chest infections and ear infections. In fact, if more babies were breastfed hospital admissions in the first year could be reduced by 50%.There is also evidence to suggest that children who have been breastfed are less inclined to suffer from health problems later in life such as obesity, high blood pressure or cholesterol.

However, it is not only the baby that benefits from breastfeeding – as a mother there are health benefits too, with many studies indicating that women who breastfeed are less likely to suffer from breast cancer, ovarian cancer or osteoporosis.

I look forward to my role and highlighting the importance of breastfeeding to mothers across Suffolk.”

The NHS in Norfolk already runs a similar scheme.