Breastfeeding

Waikato DHB strongly supports breastfeeding because of the health benefits to the infant, the mother, and the whanau/family in the short and long term.  In the short term it reduces the risk of infectious diseases such as gastroenteritis and respiratory infections, while the long-term benefits include a reduction in the risk of chronic diseases such as obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease for the infant.

Breastfeeding Promotion Plan 2008/10 Breastfeeding newsletters

Breastfeeding benefits for the mother include a reduction in the risk of post-partum haemorrhage, and of breast and ovarian cancers.


Waikato DHB has established a Breastfeeding Action Group representing a number of stakeholders with an interest in breastfeeding support and promotion. The groups focus is on protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding at the Waikato District level through the development of baby friendly communities.

A key focus of their work plan is on increasing the health work force and community consumer-based groups and providers’ capacity to provide support to women and their families around breastfeeding.

National breastfeeding social marketing campaign

The number of women in New Zealand who breastfeed their infant at six months is low, especially among Maori and Pacific women, and the rates continue to drop after six months.

For this reason, the Ministry of Health is running a social marketing campaign aimed at increasing these rates by reinforcing how important breastfeeding is and how important it is for family/whanau and friends to encourage and support mums to breastfeed.

The aim is to increase the perception of breastfeeding as a normal part of everyday life and increase the number of babies being breastfed for six months and also the number of infants who continue to be breastfed beyond six months.

The campaign is being run in two phases.

Phase one, which is now completed, focused on encouraging partners, family/whanau and friends to support mums to breastfeed.

Phase two encourages environmental support for breastfeeding in settings outside the home.

For more information about the campaign visit www.breastfeeding.org.nz

Waikato DHB Breastfeeding Outpatient Service

The Waikato District Health Board breastfeeding outpatient service offers a service for new mothers and babies who may be experiencing difficulties with breastfeeding.  The service is helping more Waikato women to breastfeed their newborns according to an independent report released earlier this year.

An evaluation of the service was funded by the Ministry of Health’s HEHA Research and Evaluation Fund. The evaluation report  found that the DHB’s community based breastfeeding outpatient service provides an effective service that is increasing breastfeeding duration, knowledge, confidence and success through its weekly clinic for new mothers.

It also found that the service helped to increase knowledge of other health professionals by providing valuable phone advice.

Read the report here.

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