La Trobe University study shows 87 per cent of women who had a baby in 2017 breastfeed

Associate Head of La Trobe Rural Health School Melanie Bish said the study analysed data from 7500 women who had a baby at Bendigo Health between 2010 and 2017.

In that time the percentage of women who initiated breastfeeding rose by five per cent to 87 per cent.

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"We saw a need to be able to generate information that is actually based on rural and regional women's experiences (by) drawing on data Bendigo Health uses as reportables for the government," Dr Bish said.

"We went through an ethical process to access the data (and are) keen to capture and understand the profile of women and the challenges or benefits they are seeing while receiving care in their home communities."

"Breastfeeding rates in regional communities are increasing and that's something we should be celebrating."

Dr Bish also hopes the study will help develop more targeted support for women who find themselves in at-risk groups.

At-risk groups included obese and morbidly women with data showing they were 66 per cent less likely to initiate breastfeeding. Low-socio economic groups, teenage mothers and smokers were also less like to breastfeed.

"Of the four risk groups, we have women who experience a number of those risk factors," Dr Bish said.

"(Our) learnings show we need to work with GPs, obstetricians and midwives to help people access support and education to prepare and initiate breastfeeding - that is one of the biggest learnings and value of having knowledge coming from the community."

Dr Bish said the data would provide a good opportunity to create evidence-based approaches to encourage and education more women to breastfeed.

"This needs be a point of discussion while planning the pregnancy, not waiting for woman to give birth," Dr Bish said.

"We all talk about birth and having kids as a learn-as-you-go thing but if you have stronger support around you - such as health clinicians who understand women need to help and support - the transition (to becoming a parent) is still big but it's better for mothers and babies and families.

"People's experiences guide their decisions, so the more we can educate health care professions on the timing of when to work with women about breastfeeding, the better. We want the experience to be a positive one."

Dr Bish also hopes to see the study replicated in other regional areas.

"This (study) is pretty unique to the area but one thing we are looking at in the future is being able to replicate it across other regional areas or compare it to urban and international data," she said.

"This paper is part of a bigger series of research with Bendigo Health, this study is very much focused on breastfeeding, but we are also trying to contribute to local knowledge."