Vietnamese women represent one of the largest groups of culturally and linguistically diverse women birthing at Sunshine Hospital, however, as a group, they have significantly lower breastfeeding rates.
For this reason, a breastfeeding resource for Vietnamese women was recently launched.
It was the culmination of a project aimed at producing a culturally-appropriate resource for Vietnamese-speaking women, midwives and other health professionals to assist with breastfeeding education and support.
The project consisted of two stages: the exploratory research and the resource development.
In order to gain insight into local Vietnamese women’s attitudes to and experiences of breastfeeding in the Vietnamese culture, interviews with 29 women and one focus group with ten Vietnamese elders were conducted.
With strong consumer involvement, cultural sensitivity and an evidence-informed base, the resource has been designed as a package “SỮA MẸ – Hướng dẫn phụ nữ Việt Nam cách cho con bú sữa mẹ” (“Mother’s milk – a guide for Vietnamese women to support breastfeeding”) and includes a film that can be hosted on a variety of platforms including internet and DVD.
The 24-minute video has been developed with ten modules in Vietnamese with English sub-titles.
A booklet that aligns with the video has also been produced and is presented in Vietnamese with English text on the opposing pages.
Dissemination of this resource package will include provision of copies to GP clinics in the Macedon Ranges and North Western Melbourne Medicare Local, Western Health maternity service and via Lactation Consultants, who were members of the Expert Advisory Group.
The project team consisted of Chris Kerr – Midwife Unit Manager Women’s Clinic, Marieta Pring – Lactation Consultant and A/Prof Cate Nagle – Research Fellow Deakin University and Western Health, with the support of obstetric and midwifery staff, interpreters, and the Vietnamese community including those women birthing at Sunshine Hospital.
The resource can be found on the Western Health internet site – www.westernhealth.org.au under the Women’s and Children’s – Maternity Services section.
