Yalbilinya Miya (learn together): community-led program to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women...

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have been nurturing and sustaining babies through breastfeeding for over 65 000 years. Breastfeeding is an important practice for nutrition, culture, connection and well-being, and is associated with positive short- and long-term health and well-being outcomes for the mother and baby. Developing community-led supports that empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers through their breastfeeding journeys is vital for supporting the health and well-being of the next generations.

Yalbilinya Miya is a holistic and culturally responsive breastfeeding project being designed and led by an Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service in New South Wales (NSW). This project aims to identify, implement and evaluate the breastfeeding supports preferred by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Phase 1 will use yarning methodology to gather the experiences of local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women and their recommendations for breastfeeding support. The information gathered will inform the development of a culturally responsive breastfeeding support programme. In phase 2, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women who were ≥28 weeks gestation will be invited to participate in the pilot breastfeeding support programme. Phase 3 will evaluate the appropriateness and effectiveness of the holistic breastfeeding supports provided in the pilot programme and provide key recommendations based on the findings of the evaluation.

Ethical approval was granted by the Aboriginal Health and Medical Research Council of NSW (#2132/23). The findings from this project will be disseminated through community presentations, videos, brochures, infographics, social media, reports, conference presentations and peer-reviewed journal articles.