Baby Friendly Initiative Implementation: Maternity Staff Experiences

Barriers, Challenges and Facilitators for the Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI): A Qualitative Study of Maternity Staff Experiences

This qualitative, case study will explore the experiences of maternity staff in England when implementing the World Health Organisation and Unicef Baby Friendly Initiative (BFI) standards within a maternity organisation.

A range of maternity staff over 4 UK NHS hospitals will be recruited and interviewed by one chief investigator regarding their experiences of working with the BFI standards in their daily professional practice.

Inclusion criteria

• Maternity staff who have had training in and with experience of working with the BFI.
• Senior neonatal staff working in the maternity unit.
• Maternity unit management.
• Staff in specialised infant feeding roles at local hospitals.
• Student midwives on placement at main study hospital site.
• English speaking.

Exclusion criteria

• Maternity staff with no BFI experience.
• Medical staff.
• Community maternity staff.
• Community nurses and health visitors.
• Student nurses.