World Breastfeeding Week takes place during the first week of August to raise awareness about the many benefits of breastfeeding and the support available to mothers and families. This year’s focus is on the environment and climate change reminding us that breastfeeding not only provides babies with all the vital nutrients and protection to grow strong but is also the most sustainable feeding choice we can make. 

We honour that every mother’s feeding journey is unique and appreciate the difficulties mothers may face without the right support, or if the choice isn’t open to them. Maternity Services at University Hospitals Plymouth (UHP) has its own dedicated Infant Feeding Team, offering personalised support and care so mothers can confidently choose the feeding method that best suits them.  

In 2022, our charity awarded a grant to support a special project with the Infant Feeding team focused on helping mothers' hand express colostrum, the first drops of nutrient-rich milk, often called “magic drops.” 

 

The Power of Magic Drops 

 

Colostrum is nature’s first gift: a nutrient-packed, antibody-rich milk that helps build a newborn’s immune system. It even contains oxytocin, the “love hormone,” making every feed a nourishing act of love. 

The Infant Feeding team developed a kit to equip mothers with the knowledge, techniques and tools needed to confidently hand express their colostrum antenatally, ready for when their baby arrives. Collecting colostrum is important for so many outcomes: for babies of diabetic mothers, for premature babies in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit or simply to give every baby the best possible start. 

When the team reached out to us, we were excited to support this project by replacing the single-use plastic bags previously used with attractive, reusable cotton bags featuring a lovely design of mother and baby on the front. 

 

 

Aimee Miller, Infant Feeding Lead, explained how the cotton bags transformed early conversations with mothers: “Previously, the items we gave in plastic bags didn’t feel very special to families. Whereas the cotton bags created a memorable moment: more like giving a gift than handing over information and supplies. It’s not often that staff get to give something so thoughtful to patients, and this small gesture really strengthened the connection between our team and the mothers we support.” 

The grant funded 3,000 cotton bags, which were gifted to mothers across inpatient and community services. When the supply of cotton bags ended, the Infant Feeding team chose not to return to using plastic ones, and instead, items were handed over separately, which unfortunately led to an increase in mislabelled breast milk and lost the significance of that special gift-giving moment. 

Aimee shared, “When we looked at the impact of the bags, the meaningful experience they create, and saw that without them, mislabelled breast milk increased and fewer mothers remembered having conversations about hand expressing, we knew continuing this project was essential.” 

UHP has since decided to incorporate the cotton bags into routine care. This project beautifully illustrates how small, grant-funded initiatives can grow and be adopted by Trusts, creating lasting improvements in both patient care and sustainability. 

“Currently, 72% of mothers give their baby their first feed as breastmilk. We’re working hard to raise that number, and with these bags, the conversations and the ongoing support, we hope to see breastfeeding rates continue to grow.”