Breastfeeding groups

[cheekychops03]

Hi there
I am about to start training to become a breastfeeding counsellor and have just been asked if I would be interested in starting a breastfeeding support group in the local area as there is nothing and a lot of Mums are feeling totally unsupported. I was wondering if anyone either went to a simialr group or even runs/helps running one. If so, have you any hints or tips or anything that might help.
The local Health Visitors are very supportive, midwives, not as much.
Any thoughts/feelings would be appreciated.
Thanks.

[pixiefish]

i've attended a group since dd was 4 wks old. It's every 2 weeks and I've made some great friends there. We mainly just chat about whatever's bothering us at the time- sort of like a coffee morning thing. dd getting older now so won't be so easy to keep her entertained. You need the midwives on side as it was my midwife who encouraged/forced me to go. I wouldn't still be bfing at 7 1/2 mnths and back at work 2 days- if it wasn't for the group and the supposrt. Toys for the kids to play with is a necessity. plenty of tea, coffee, biccies. try to get mum's who may not 'need' the group for help to come along as support and for encouragement

[Marina]

cheekychops, what a fantastic idea. I was lucky enough not to have to call on support this time round but I could certainly have done with some help with ds1.
There is a very good one run locally in SE London - the same person does one morning a week in a church hall and a session at a swimming pool/leisure complex nearby. I will find out more and either post or use CAT to pass on the details to you.
My initial thoughts would be to "paper the house" with friend who are relaxed bfers, at first at least - so many first-time mums have never had the opportunity to see another woman bfing and take a good look without causing offence!
There is a real shortage of counsellors, best of luck with your course.

[Prettybird]

I went to an excellent one at my maternity hospital run by the breastfeeding advisor midwives. Becasue of them, we were fortunate always to have LOADS of suopport. They were also very good at getting the mums to talk to each other - especially getting someone who has "got to the other side" of a problem to talk to someone just encountering it. For example, my ds didn't put wieght on, athlough he SEEMED to be feeding plenty. I talked to a mum whose ds wouldn't latch on at all - and she had been prepared to feed him on EBM, until she found out he would feed througha nipple shield. Compared to her, my problems seemed small. Later, I was the one the midwives got people to talk to, to reassure "new" mothers that failing to folow the growth curve is NOT necessarily "failing to thrive"

They would also come around and check people's latches - if you wanted them to - and weigh your babies - again, if you wanted them to. That way you could avoid the baby clinic and the dreaded HVs! Becasue of them, even though ds had an EXTREMELY slow weight gain, I was given the confidence to continue. They did refer to the consultant paediatrician, just in case, but he took one look at this manifestly happy, healthy and alert child, and asked how my dad was (who used to work at the same hospital).

Because of its attachment to the maternity hospital, it meant that if they/you had any concerns, you could get a very quick referral.

It was very simple - just a circle of chairs, with a padded area in the middle for the babies to lie/crawl on. They supplied orange juice and chocolate biscuits - we only found out later that some of this came out of one of the midwives pocket - although later she did get proper funding for it.

They were also able to loan out expressing mchaines, if you were struggling. That's what helped give me the confidence that ds WAS getting enough, as even when he was dwoning loads of EBM, his rate of weight gain didn't change.

[JulieF]

I am a peer supporter at health visitor run group.

We meet in the local health centre and there is always a HV or midwife on hand as well as a peer supporter. Its a general tea/coffee (not Nescafe) and chat sort of thing. Anyone with problems can speak to the HV or peer supporter and mums are also referred to us by their own health visitors or midwives. We become their buddy and arrange to meet up and chat over the phone.

The larger group nearby that has more funding hires out breastpumps which was very useful to me (I did feed my ds on EBM for the first month Prettybird as he wouldn't latch on even with nipple shields)

[Prettybird]

I forgot to mention - the midwives would also arrange for "extra" people to come along occasionally - like the dietician, who could chat to us informally and answer any questions we might have.

[cheekychops03]

Thanks guys, that's really helpful. I would be particularly interested in hearing more about the one in SE London, Marina.
If anyone has any more thoughts, please do add them - it can only help.

[cocococo]

La Leche league run a bi-monthly one in a local cafe on a marina with views of the boats/water etc I would definately have gone if this has been around when I had ds

[kbaby]

I go to one and its excellant. Really makes me what to carry on breastfeeding just so I can go
It is held in the doctors surgery and is run by health visitors. My health visitor told me about it on the 21st day health check visit. It is generally a coffee morning with toys on the floor etc. We also get to weigh d's there instead of going on a seperate day. Through the group I have been able to ask advice about brestfeeding/latching and talk to other mums. They have also lent me a electric breast pump etc. They have helpers who come in and give talks about weaning etc. Its every week for 2 hrs.
Im going to miss it when I go back to work, its the highlight of my week. I also enjoy it as I found mum and toddler groups were for mostly older babies/children and this was a way of speaking to mums of other babies.

Good Luck.