September 2009
At present, half-way through this financial year, we are very pleased with the project's results.
We have seen particularly strong volunteer development this year: 18 of our volunteers have taken positive steps towards employment or education, with 7 of these attaining a place at university or paid employment during the course of the year so far. This is really encouraging both for the volunteers and the project as a whole, and we are delighted to have been able to support them in making these positive steps in their lives.
Our breastfeeding rates continue to be very high across the city, which is a sign of how successfully the volunteer doulas support their mums to breastfeed, and to keep going for as long as mum and baby are happy doing so. Our breastfeeding initiation rate currently stands at 94%, with 72% of those mums (68% of the total mums we've supported) continuing to breastfeed for at least six weeks after birth.
We are also very pleased to have been able to sustain our low intervention rate during birth: only 18% of mums we supported had caesarean sections, and 24% had epidurals during labour. Both these rates are consistently lower than what may be expected in this area of the country, which is a great result for the project, and something for all the mums we've supported this year to be proud of.
So far this year, we have supported 67 women and their families, including teenage mums, mums with mental or physical health concerns, asylum seekers, economic migrants, and mums from all over the city who simply need a little extra help at such an important moment in their lives, and the lives of their families. We can always help more families, however, so if you know of any pregnant mums who would benefit from the support of a volunteer doula, please do not hesitate to contact the team in the Office on 01482 497811.
[Photograph: Volunteers celebrating their achievements at an event at the Guildhall, Hull, on 21st September 2009. Photograph courtesy of Fiona Caley, Wilberforce Women.]
January 2009
At the end of our first year of supporting women from the whole of Hull, we were very pleased to have built strong, reciprocal links with so many agencies across the city. This was reflected well in the results for this period:
From January 2008 - January 2009, we have received 120 referrals. Of these, we have gone on to support 84 mothers-to-be. 59 of these ladies have given birth to date, and a further 11 have come to us for postnatal support only. 34 of these births (58%) were entirely normal births; 11 (19%) were by caesarean section, and 14 more (24%) had an epidural. 84% of the mums we supported have initiated breastfeeding, including both teenage mums and those from the east of the city. We have also seen increasing numbers of mums referred into the Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy team.
July 2008
The project has now expanded to cover the whole of Hull. Therefore the early part of 2008 was spent establishing our city-wide presence, and now we are seeing the results of our hard work. We have had 159 referrals, and of these have supported 106 women. 90 of these have given birth to date, and 4 wanted post-natal support only. 24 of these births (26%) resulted in a caesarean section, and 24 (26%) had an epidural. Breastfeeding Rates Our breastfeeding rates remain particularly good. 69 of our new mums (77%) initiated breastfeeding. Of these 69, 47 mums (68%) were still breastfeeding at 6 weeks, when our role finished.
January 2008
We have had 108 women referred in to us and of those have support 84. 3 of those 84 were postnatal support only and 72 of them have given birth to date. Of those 72 births, 16 resulted in a caesarian section, which is 22% compared to the local rate of 24.5%. There were also a further 19 epidurals, which is 26% comparied to the local rate of 34.1%. Breastfeeding Rates 53 of those 72 initiated breastfeeding (73.6%) compared to a local rate of approximately 46%. Of those 53 that breastfed, 37 (70%) were breastfeeding when the baby was 6 weeks old (at the point that we stop supporting the mums).
May 2007
From January 06 to May 07 we have supported 56 women through the Volunteer Doula Project. Of those 56, we have had 50 births, 11 being born by Caesarian Section (22%) and 15 other women having epidurals (31%). 35 of those births were attended by the doulas but all other women had support from someone else. Breastfeeding Rates 36 of the 50 women initiated breastfeeding (77%)which is higher than the local average of 65%. At six weeks 60% of the women being supported were still breastfeeding.
Dec 2006
To date, we have had 40 women referred into the Volunteer Doula Project. All the women have had a wide variety of needs and been from different backgrounds. Breastfeeding Initiation Rate was approximately 80%. This has been for a variety of timescales, from one day to long term, depending upon their birth outcomes, personal circumstances and cultural views.
