Infant Feeding - Policy Statement

Every mother wants the best for her child, every father too. When a baby is born the first choice is the method of feeding the baby. To enable her to make this decision it is the responsibility of every midwife to ensure that during the antenatal period discussion will take place, which will lead the mother to make a truly informed choice. 

There is an overwhelming body of research evidence that breastmilk is the optimal food for newborn infants, and that there are clear benefits to the health of both mother and infant.

 The Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust is determined to encourage and support mothers to breastfeed their babies.

We aim to ensure that the health benefits of breastfeeding and the potential health risks of formula feeds are discussed with all women, so that they can then make an informed choice about how they will feed their baby.

The Bradford Hospitals NHS Trust will not discriminate against any women in their chosen method of infant feeding and will fully support her when she has made her choice.

To create a culture where more women choose to breastfeed their babies, and where women are given sufficient information and support to enable them to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months, and to continue to breastfeed for as long as they choose.

Enable all health care staff that have contact with breastfeeding women to provide the appropriate level of support through specialised training in breastfeeding management.

For further information please contact the Breast Feeding Co-ordinator on 01274 364583.