Woods: think of the conference like being at the top of the mountain that Shereen and Anna both spoke of yesterday. Take in the view
Next year the conference will be back online. See again you in person in two years! #BFConf
And on day 2
@vicky-thomas.bsky.social, @jameskinross.bsky.social, @philbakernz.bsky.social, @drnaomidowibclc.bsky.social, Illiyin Morrison, @ndzitina.bsky.social, Matt Lenny from North Somerset Council, Gill Thomson & Victoria Hall Moran & Anne Woods & Shereen Fisher #BFConf 🙏🏿🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏼🙏🏻
Thanks to all the brilliant speakers & chairs 🙏🏿🙏🏾🙏🏽🙏🏽🙏🏼🙏🏻
@profamcf.bsky.social, Philip Goodwin from
@unicef-uk.bsky.social, Anna Byrom from @all4maternity.bsky.social,
@aaloysius.bsky.social, Vicky Sibson from
@1stepsnutrition.bsky.social Yafa Ajweh & Reem Al Soufi from GINA & Brittal Stordal #BFConf
Final remarks now from Anne Woods, Deputy Programme Director, UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative #BFConf
Reflections on the Conference > 1100 delegates, applause for everyone who have achieved or are working towards accreditation 👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻
The title slide of Gill Thomson and Victoria Hall Moran's presentation about the ATTUNE Study: Assessing the evidence and impact of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative, featuring two parents smiling down at their baby
Next up are Gill Thomson and Victoria Hall Moran speaking about the ATTUNE Study: Assessing the evidence
and impact of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative
The data is still being analysed so this presentation is a rough outline of the assessment #BFConf
The title slide of Matt Lenny's presentation The power of leadership and collaboration: Experiences of Baby Friendly Gold in North Somerset with a line drawing of North Somerset landmarks
First up is Matt Lenny speaking about The power of leadership and collaboration: Experiences of Baby Friendly Gold in North Somerset.
He wears many hats and has many roles but his favourite of all is being a Baby Friendly Gold Standard Breastfeeding Guardian 🥰 #BFConf
We're back after lunch for the last session, welcomed back by @ndzitina.bsky.social, chair for this afternoon #BFConf
She's had us all on our feet applauding the Baby Friendly team, & ourselves for the work that we do 👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻
You can see some of Ernestine's work here www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs8C...
Morrison: in response to question - you don't have to be as radical as she was an quit your job, but recognise yourself, you might be burned out and chronically unhappy, what can you change to improve things. You are a skilled individual, where can you put your efforts? #BFConf
The title slide of Naomi Dow's presentation "It's not thrush!" Challengin the Candida narrative
Welcome back after the break. Next up is @drnaomidowibclc.bsky.social speaking about “It’s Not Thrush!”: Challenging the Candida Narrative
Naomi is a GP, IBCLC and founding member of MiLC - Medics' Lactation Community #BFConf
The title slide of Philip Baker's presentation featuring groups of mothers breastfeeding side by side, with Philip video image next to it as he is presenting remotely
Next up we are hearing from @philbakernz.bsky.social on The political economy of infant and young child feeding: confronting corporate power, overcoming structural barriers, and accelerating progress #BFConf
The title slide of James Kinross's presentation titled Microbes, milk and the making of a human: rethinking early life through the gut with a background illustration of cells and bacteria
Our first speaker today is @jameskinross.bsky.social speaking about Microbes, milk and the making of a human: Rethinking early life through the gut #BFConf
Vicky Thomas standing on the stage with a large screen behind her showing images of parents and babies and the Baby Friendly logo
Good morning from Day 2 of the @unicef-uk.bsky.social Baby Friendly Initiative Annual Conference in Telford. @vicky-thomas.bsky.social welcomed us back to this very special conference, describing it as a combination of an academic symposium, a hen party and a therapy session 😄 #BFConf
Stordal: the protective effects of an early full-term pregnancy and bf have been consistently seen in multiple countries and ethnic groups. This suggests that the protection results from the biological changes in the breast rather than environmental or socioeconomic factors #BFConf
The cover slide from Brittal Stordal's presentation. Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer: a call for action in high-income countries with low rates of breastfeeding
Back from the break for the last session of the day with Britta Stordal speaking about how Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast cancer, a call for action in high income countries with low rates of breastfeeding #BFConf
Title slide from Reem Al Soufi and Yafa Ajweh's presentation on Supporting, Protecting and Sustaining Breastfeeding in Conflict Zones featuring a painting of a mother breastfeeding a baby surrounded by outstretched hands
Next Yafa Ajweh and Reem Al Soufi of the Gaza Infant Nutrition Alliance (GINA) will be speaking about S-upporting, protecting & sustaining breastfeeding in conflict zones
Al Soufi begins by speaking about how bf her daughter in October 2023 moved her to work to support other parents #BFConf
Read: the standards make a difference, your work makes a difference.
Read is playing moving audio clips from parents about their experiences in Baby Friendly accredited NNUs. Parents felt supported, their input appreciated, how much it meant to them #BFConf
The title slide of Karen Read's presentation on 10 Years of BFI Neonatal Standards showing a mother holding premature twins skin to skin in a neonatal unit
Welcome back after lunch. Vicky Sibson of @1stepsnutrition.bsky.social is chairing this afternoon's session. Karen Read is speaking now about 10 years of the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Neonatal Standards #BFConf
Aloysius: report highlight the importance of breastmilk for preterm health outcomes. Need to increase access and use. Support implementing accreditation programmes.
Quality improvement initiatives naturally include Baby Friendly Neonatal Standards www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly... #BFConf
The title slide from Annie Aloysius's presentation What supports mothers of very preterm babies to start and continue breastmilk feeding in neonatal units? Mothers and staff experiences from units with high and low breastfeeding rates
Welcome back to the 2025 Baby Friendly Conference #BFConf. We're hearing now from @aaloysius.bsky.social who is speaking now about what supports mothers of very preterm babies to start & continue breastmilk feeding in neonatal units
Byrom closes by calling on us to live wholeheartedly , in the words of Brene Brown "engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness...cultivating the courage, compassion and connection to wake up and think 'No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough'" #BFConf
Byrom - creating a Sense of Coherence (SOC) : balancing the relational and the rational through SOC policy, transactional, transformational team approach, BFI as a template for health care #BFConf
Byrom: the media is critical for exposing injustice, amplifying families' voices, holding institutions and systems accountable, driving policy and inquiry, keeping maternity, perinatal and neonatal safety concerns visible.
We must remember journalists are under their own pressures too #BFConf
Byrom speaking about her personal birth experiences and work roles (midwife, leader, researcher, entrepreneur) in order to share her humanity with you in the context of this work. So often maternity, perinatal and neonatal care is dehumanising for all, families & health professionals #BFConf
It's really, really moving to see how much work is being done by so many across the country to provide great support to families 🥹🥹🥹🥰🥰🥰💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽💪🏼💪🏻 #BFConf
Now for one of the best parts of the Baby Friendly conference, the Roll of Honour celebrating this year's BFI achievements! 🥳🏆🏅👏🏿👏🏾👏🏽👏🏼👏🏻 #BFConf
Fisher: BFI is 30 years old in the UK 🥳 Neonatal standars are 10 years old 🥳
BFI is part of health strategy across the UK.
Northern Ireland has 100% Gold in Health Visiting 🥳
#BFConf
Fisher: BFI represents a huge opportunity to overcome weaknesses in Code implementation in the health care system. New code guide for health workers www.unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly... #BFConf #WHOCode #BMSCode @who.int
Fisher: example of using technology Alive & Thrive's VIVID #WHOCode violations detector #BMSCode #BFConf
www.aliveandthrive.org/en/resources...
A screenshot of Shereen Fisher's presentation showing a graph of breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks across the UK. Numbers in post
Fisher: @wbtiuk.bsky.social "There is still a steep drop-off and by age 6 weeks fewer than 50% of babies are receiving any breastmilk at all" ukbreastfeeding.org/wbtiuk2024/
Rates of bf at 6-8 wks remain persistently low across UK: Scotland 49%, England 56%, Wales 45%, Northern Ireland 35% #BFConf
Fisher: Minister for Health Robin Swann in response to @maryrenfrew.bsky.social's Northern Ireland Report in 2024
"There is a clear message that all of us in the health service must *listen to women*" #BFConf
