The Baby Friendly Initiative is a global programme of UNICEF and the World Health Organization. It works with health services to improve practice so that parents are enabled and supported to make informed choices about how they feed and care for their babies.

The UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative works with UK health services to improve the care and support provided for mothers and babies in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Click on the menu to find out what you can expect if your hospital or health centre is Baby Friendly. See also About UNICEF for more information about our work.

Finding information
We produce leaflets for parents in different languages, which include important information about feeding and caring for your baby. You can download and print these.

You can use this site to find out if your hospital is Baby Friendly yet. You can also write a letter to the chief executive to support the hospital's progress or to tell them about your experiences.

You will also find an extensive list of research into the benefits of breastfeeding and the hazards of artificial feeding.

Unfortunately, we are not equipped to provide answers to individual breastfeeding queries, which we recommend you discuss with your midwife or health visitor or, if your baby is in hospital, the staff caring for her/him. You may also wish to contact one of the mother support organisations – click on Mother support groups and infant feeding organisations in the menu on the right of the screen for details.

Any information on this website may be reproduced, but not for use in conjunction with any commercial purpose.

Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed a baby. It is possible, but difficult, for mothers to reverse a decision not to breastfeed or to re-start breastfeeding once they have stopped. Introducing partial bottle feeding will reduce a mother’s breastmilk supply. Breastfeeding mothers don't need to eat any special foods but it is recommended that, just like everyone else, they follow a healthy diet.