A day in the life of... an infant-feeding specialist midwife

A day in the life of infant-feeding specialist Suzanne Barber.

Midwives magazine: Issue 4 :: 2011

Name: Suzanne Barber
Occupation: Infant-feeding specialist midwife, IBCLC
Lives: Bedfordshire

I work at Milton Keynes Foundation Hospital NHS Trust, which supported 4000 births last year. The population of Milton Keynes is estimated to increase by 2% each year and the unit has incorporated this forecasted demand in the future planning of maternity services. The unit is currently undergoing major changes, both structurally and within the staff complement. Following a long period of using agency staff, a successful recruitment campaign has ensured that the number of substantive posts has increased. Specialist midwives have been appointed to areas such as bereavement, diabetes, preceptorship and infant-feeding and a consultant midwife focuses on promoting normality.

A typical day

8.00am I get straight down to checking emails and messages and I find a request to visit a new mother on the postnatal ward.

8.30 A short walk down the corridor to the postnatal ward and the problem is a typical baby, who is not yet interested in feeding. The flow chart has been followed, the baby has remained skin on skin, and the mother has been shown how to express her colostrum for her baby. Reassurance is all that is needed.

10.00 Two new breast pumps have just arrived. I excitedly spend the next half an hour ensuring everyone knows how to use them. New equipment is always a cause
for celebration.

10.40 I receive an external call from a midwife with a baby who is experiencing feeding problems and a tongue-tie is thought to be the cause. I make a referral for a frenulotomy. Following training in Southampton this month, we will be making a proposal to perform this on the ward before discharge.

11.00 A quick chat with the ward sister regarding teaching on the ward follows. We plan to launch a rolling programme to build parents’ confidence in making up artificial feeds and sterilising equipment before going home.

12.00 I spend lunchtime multi-tasking as usual, as I discuss a supervisory issue with a colleague.

1.00pm  I receive a call from the neonatal unit regarding a new mother who has just had twins at 34 weeks’ gestation. I reinforce the importance of early expressing at least 8-10 times a day, as soon as she is able. To avoid information overload, I leave her to rest with an Off to a best start leaflet and intend to follow up tomorrow.

2.00 I notice the unit requires more breastfeeding leaflets, so I order our monthly supplies online from the Department of Health.

2.30 I have a proposal for the Baby Friendly Accreditation Process to prepare for the trust board. The first draft is completed, but it requires fine tuning to be successful.

3.00 The next Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) audit on mothers’ antenatal education is waiting attention on my desk. Normally, women are routinely informed about the benefits and reasons to breastfeed. Unfortunately, it is not always documented. As a supervisor of midwives, record-keeping is high on the agenda and is essential for Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts compliance. I dream of achieving 80% compliance for BFI success and spend the next hour working on a strategy to address this issue and improve compliance. It would be a wonderful example of best practice.

4.00 It’s officially the end of the day, but once home I have journals to digest and yet more emails to answer.