Available on the Learning Hub

This programme is available on the NHS Learning Hub. We recommend you read the information on this webpage to find out more about the programme before you access the learning (https://learninghub.nhs.uk/Catalogue/Breastfeeding-and-Perinatal-Mental-Health).

More information about the Learning Hub and the migration of elfh programmes can be found here.

About the Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health programme

All too often, breastfeeding support and perinatal mental health support are provided in isolation, with minimal consideration of how one can impact upon the other. This means that families can sometimes receive conflicting advice about how they should care for their baby, which can lead to unnecessary stress and cause confusion about what approach is right for them.

This programme aims to improve staff understanding of the relationship between breastfeeding and perinatal mental health. It provides an overview of the evidence to explain how breastfeeding and perinatal mental health are intertwined, and what factors can influence this relationship. It also provides tools and guidance to support staff to deliver self-reflective, person-centred care and to facilitate joined-up working in multidisciplinary contexts.

The programme is made up of 2 learning sessions:

• Session 1: The relationship between infant feeding and perinatal mental health
• Session 2: Practical skills to support families with infant feeding and perinatal mental health

Session 1 aims to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Improved awareness of the national landscape of perinatal mental health and infant feeding
• Improved understanding of the different ways perinatal mental health and infant feeding are intertwined, including:
  • how breastfeeding can have a protective function for perinatal mental health
  • how perinatal mental health difficulties can exacerbate difficulties in breastfeeding
  • how feeding difficulties can exacerbate mental health difficulties
• Recognition of other factors that can influence the relationship between perinatal mental health and infant feeding

Session 2 aims to achieve the following learning outcomes:

• Improved awareness of the positive effects that person-centred care can have on perinatal mental health and infant feeding
• Tools to sensitively explore the wishes and aims of mothers and fathers/ partners
• Improved understanding of reflective practice and how it features in providing person-centred care
• Opportunities to consider how to apply this learning into practice when working with other professionals and teams

On completion of this training, staff will be better equipped to provide holistic, wraparound care that is tailored to the needs and circumstances of the family.

At the end of each session, there is a self-assessment that will enable you to test your knowledge and understanding of the learning outcomes. On successful completion of both sessions, you will receive confirmation that you have successfully completed all of the learning sessions in this programme.

More information

Additional resources and related training programmes are introduced and linked to as part of this training. Learners might like to consider taking these on as part of their wider development on completion of this programme.

Primary and secondary audiences

This learning is intended for anyone involved in providing support to families during pregnancy and the first couple of years after birth. This includes but is not limited to:

• health visitors
• midwives
• nurses
• psychological professionals
• perinatal mental health specialists
• infant feeding specialists
• early years workers
• family support workers
• children’s wellbeing practitioners
• nursing associates
• maternity/health support workers
• paid/volunteer peer support workers

It may also be useful for the wider health workforce, including those working in primary care.

Acknowledgements

Reviewers

• Dr Michelle Peter, Researcher and Social Scientist, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Foundation Trust
• Dr Vicky Fallon, Senior Lecturer in Health Psychology, University of Liverpool
• Camilla Rosan, Honorary Associate Professor, University College London
• Hannah Sereni, Start for Life Mental Health Policy Lead, OHID
• Gill Turner, Lead Nurse for Children, Young People & Families, OHID

How to access

To access this elfh programme, you will require a Learning Hub account. If you do not have one, then you can register by selecting the Register button below. Note that if you hold a full elfh account, you can sign into the Learning Hub using your existing login credentials.

Register

To view the Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health programme, select the View button below. If you already have a Learning Hub account, you will also be able to login and access the resources within the programme .

View

NHS healthcare staff in England – ESR

The Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health programme is also available to NHS healthcare staff via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). Accessing this e-learning via ESR means that your completions will transfer with you throughout your NHS career.
Further details are available here.

Not an NHS organisation?

If you are not an NHS health or care organisation and therefore do not qualify for free access to the Learning Hub, you may be able to access the service if you have an existing OpenAthens account. Please go to Learning Hub and sign in with your existing credentials.

If you do not have an existing OpenAthens account, please contact elfh directly to check whether you may be eligible for access.

Registering large numbers of users

If you are a HR, IT or Practice Manager and would like to register and enrol large numbers of staff within your organisation for access onto the Breastfeeding and Perinatal Mental Health programme, please contact elfh directly.

Organisations wishing to use their own LMS

For HR departments wanting to know more about gaining access to courses using an existing Learning Management System please contact elfh directly to express interest.

More information

Please select the following link for more information on how to use the Learning Hub