New educational tool for women who are thinking about breastfeeding

May 16 2007

A new website featuring personal experiences of breastfeeding has gone 'live' in time for National Breastfeeding Awareness Week (May 13 - 19).

Dr Kath Ryan, Senior Research Fellow at Bournemouth University recorded the interviews with 49 women and two men from all parts of the UK for the new site - www.dipex.org/breastfeeding. The men featured are partners of women who were interviewed.

“Women learn about breastfeeding from listening to the experiences of other women,” says Dr Ryan who is part of the WOMB Research Group within Bournemouth University’s Institute of Health and Community Studies. “The interviews we’ve gathered and presented are a timeless reminder of the personal nature of breastfeeding.

“Featuring these stories on-line makes this a powerful educational tool for women who are thinking about breastfeeding, those who are already breastfeeding and the health professionals engaged in helping them,” she continues. “We’re also responding to evidence that says people from disadvantaged groups rely more heavily on the internet for health information than do their advantaged counterparts so this new website has the potential to change the way we think about breastfeeding support.”

The new breastfeeding site is part of the award-winning DIPEx website of people’s experiences of health and illness and created in collaboration with the DIPEx Research Group in the Department of Primary Care at the University of Oxford.

As Dr Ryan explains, the unique site features freely-available, video, audio and written clips of people talking realistically about their experiences. Answers to frequently asked questions are also available on-line as well as links to other websites containing reliable breastfeeding information and links to support groups and other resources.

One of the participants, a 31-year-old mother of three, echoes Dr Ryan’s comments on the importance of having support in place when considering or involved in breastfeeding. “I only managed to breastfeed properly once I had ‘hands on’ (practical) support and encouragement from women who had breastfed their own children – support is essential, I believe,” she says.