Biological Nurturing, a new approach to breastfeeding

British mothers are some of the least likely in Europe to sustain breastfeeding despite almost twenty years of public health strategies to promote the biological choice. Knowledgeable support may be crucial to overcome common problems prompting early unintentional breast weaning. The established approach suggests a fixed system of early verbal instruction. Midwives thus enable mothers to position themselves (back upright at right angles to lap), and to attach the baby onto their breast correctly.

Biological nurturing is designed to facilitate breastfeeding aiming first to avoid common problems. It can also be used as a rescue/problem-solving strategy. Parents are shown a video and given a booklet illustrating positions where newborn babies self attach to the breast; mothers are encouraged to adopt any position sitting up or lying down where they feel comfortable. Photos illustrate how to drape or place the baby prone and in close apposition with a body contour. Midwives are trained to assess milk transfer using clinical observations of hormonal complexion, nutritional physiology and counselling techniques.

This presentation will introduce biological nurturing and some new breastfeeding vocabulary. Videotape clips will illustrate some innate feeding behaviours triggered by biological nurturing positions.

Suzanne Colson, RGN, RM, Licence es Lettres, BA, MSc
With over 25 years experience supporting breastfeeding mothers, Suzanne is a founding mother/leader of La Leche League France, working at Pithiviers Hospital for three years. She was one of the midwife/researchers on the Williams, Hawdon and DeRooy team examining the effects of supplementation on metabolic adaptation and breastfeeding. She currently works as a lactation midwife at East Kent Hospitals NHS Trust and holds a PhD research studentship at Canterbury Christ Church University College to examine the mechanisms of biological nurturing.

Philippa Parrett, BSc, IBCLC
Philippa is a National Childbirth Trust breastfeeding counsellor and trainee tutor. She works part-time as a lactation consultant for the William Harvey Hospital in East Kent and runs a peer support programme for Ashford Sure Start. She was on the CATCH team, a second wave Department of Health funded breastfeeding project implementing biological nurturing.

Contact details: Suzanne Colson: sdc8@canterbury.ac.uk