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Baby Friendly Health Initiative (BFHI) education for maternity facility staff

Supporting the breastfeeding mother in the neonatal period is a series of eight online education modules developed by the Australian Breastfeeding Association.

Comprising 8 hours of breastfeeding education, this eLearning module series offers hospitals and health facilities seeking BFHI accreditation or re-accreditation a means to fulfil the compulsory staff education requirements.

What is included in the BFHI staff education pack?

  • 8 hours of high-quality, evidence-based eLearning modules.
  • Individual accounts provided for each staff member, allowing them to complete the modules at any time, from any device.
  • Reporting on module completion rates provided to the facility on a regular or as-needed basis
  • Ability to integrate organisational branding onto eModule platform (additional fees apply)

Summary of eLearning modules

Counselling skills:
  • Counselling skills for breastfeeding support
  • Breastfeeding education for pregnant women
Establishing breastfeeding:
  • Supporting a mother to initiate breastfeeding
  • Assessing a breastfeed
  • Supporting a mother to hand express
Breastfeeding challenges:
  • Establishing and increasing milk supply
  • Counselling a mother with breast and nipple challenges
  • Challenges to feeding at the breast and alternative methods of feeding

Overview of BFHI competencies in each module

Counselling skills for breastfeeding support

1. Use listening skills when counselling a mother

2. Use skills for building a mother’s confidence and giving support

4. Counsel a mother to make an informed and appropriate decision about infant feeding suitable to her circumstances

Breastfeeding education for pregnant women

3. Counsel a pregnant woman about breastfeeding

Supporting a mother to initiate breastfeeding

5. Help a mother to recognise when her baby is ready to initiate breastfeeding while in skin-to-skin contact after birth

6. Support a mother to position herself and her baby for breastfeeding

7. Support a mother to attach her baby to the breast, encouraging baby-led attachment

Assessing a breastfeed

8. Assess a breastfeed; including teaching a mother how to monitor milk transfer

9. Explain to a mother about feeding cues and the optimal pattern of breastfeeding

11. Explain to a mother how to know if her baby is getting enough milk

Supporting a mother to hand express

10. Using hands-off techniques, assist a mother to express her breastmilk

Establishing and increasing milk supply

11. Explain to a mother how to know if her baby is getting enough milk

12. Counsel a mother who thinks she does not have enough milk

13. Counsel a mother with an unsettled baby

Counselling a mother with breast and nipple challenges

16. Counsel a mother who has flat or inverted nipples

17. Counsel a mother with engorged breasts

18. Counsel a mother with sore or cracked nipples 

19. Counsel a mother with mastitis

Challenges to feeding at breast and alternative methods of feeding

14. Counsel a mother on selecting and using an alternative feeding method

15. Counsel a mother whose baby is refusing to breastfeed

20. Support a mother to breastfeed a low‑birth‑weight, preterm or sick baby

Blue paper pencil

ACM CPD recognised hours

eLearning package costs

Individual cost

$355 AUD

10-20 staff members

$195 pp AUD

21-50 staff members

$160 pp AUD

Individual modules

Individual modules can be purchased upon request

51-100 staff members

$130 pp AUD

101+ staff members

$80 pp AUD
Save up to $275 per person!