(Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\nData published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in November shows the prevalence of breastfeeding at six to eight weeks in England increased to 52.7 per cent in 2023-24 compared with 49.2 per cent in 2022-23.<\/p>\n
At the time, OHID said breastfeeding rates \u201care generally improving at local level in England\u201d.<\/p>\n
However, there are disparities, with women in wealthier areas more likely to breastfeed than those in more deprived areas.<\/p>\n
Catherine Hine, chief executive of The Breastfeeding Network \u2013 which runs the helpline alongside the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, said: \u201cWhile some callers seek help for a wider range of infant feeding challenges, we know that almost nine in 10 (89 per cent) of callers are more confident to continue breastfeeding after contacting the helpline.<\/p>\n
\u201cMany women also call to talk about combination feeding, introducing solids, stopping breastfeeding and formula feeding.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re really excited that shifting to a 24-hour service has been so popular and that our great team are being contacted by women and families throughout the UK and with a wide variety of backgrounds and infant feeding experiences.\u201d<\/p>\n
Minister for children and families Janet Daby said extending the helpline for 2025\/26 is \u201cjust one part of a much bigger effort to transform how families are supported\u201d.<\/p>\n
The move forms part of wider reforms of family services, backed by \u00a3126 million in funding that will support the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme.<\/p>\n
This includes \u00a318.5 million to improve infant feeding across 75 local authorities in England.<\/p>\n
Ms Dalton added: \u201cThrough our Plan for Change, we\u2019re going further to ensure every child gets the best start in life.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve provided extra funding for local infant feeding services through the Family Hubs and Start for Life programme, where parents can access drop-in sessions for practical and emotional support.\u201d<\/p>\n
Earlier this month, the government also announced there will be a Best Start family hub in every local authority in England by April 2026, with \u00a3500 million targeted at disadvantaged communities.<\/p>\n
The service has been described as a \u201cone-stop shop\u201d for families with children from pregnancy through to early years and beyond.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Your support helps us to tell the story From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it’s investigating the financials of Elon Musk’s pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, ‘The A Word’, which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging. At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story. The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it. Your support makes all the difference. Read more New mothers will now be able to access breastfeeding support 24 hours a day after the government extended a national helpline. The National Breastfeeding Helpline provides free, evidence-based information day and night \u2013 supporting families to overcome challenges that might prevent mothers from successfully breastfeeding their baby. Breastfeeding can take time to establish, with some mothers worrying if their baby is feeding well enough, particularly in the days after birth. Public health minister Ashley Dalton said: \u201cMany parents will know the struggle of being up in the middle of the night, desperately trying anything to get your baby to feed. \u201cIt can be incredibly overwhelming and deeply lonely. \u201cWe are determined to make sure more women get the support they need through this vital 24\/7 helpline.\u201d The Breastfeeding Network say 89 per cent of callers are more confident to continue breastfeeding after contacting the helpline (Getty Images) Data published by the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities (OHID) in…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4259,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4258"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=4258"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4258\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4258"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4258"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.seekyourlove.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4258"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}