Cultures of breastfeeding: reflections for policy and practice

As an infant feeding specialist in midwifery practice and a university senior lecturer in midwifery, we have had some very interesting discussions about the work presented in this group of chapters. It has become clear to us that what midwifery students learn is heavily influenced by the practice they observe while on clinical placements. This may seem obvious, but from our perspective the pressures that higher education and the NHS face in the current climate of austerity in the UK have resulted in a squeeze on opportunities for dialogue, feedback and reflection between the two sectors, and we feel that this has a potential impact on the quality of student learning....