I'm going to have to go back to our local 'BF group' aren't I...

[QueenOfFlamingEverything]

Have mentioned this group before I think - run by Flying Start (the group is in Wales), only open to babies up to 1, and I am the only BFer every time I go out of around 16 regulars

So I don't go, much. Last time I tried was before Christmas and it was ghastly. The woman running it called us 'mummies' and made us sing Frosty The Fucking Snowman.

My friend has had a baby recently and she went last week - apparently there are two other BFers there now. She was listening to the health worker talk to some of the other women about weaning and apparently BLW doesn't work , one woman was being told she needed to keep a food diary for her 6mo and that he needed to be on three meals a day to stop him needing a night feed , that it is imprtant to start with smooth textures like baby rice and family food is only suitable if you puree it first

I am going to have to start going every week aren't I... [groan]

OMG. They sound dreadful. You should set up your own group!

I think that group would make my head explode! I'm full of admiration if you're going along to counter-act all the shit advice being given out. Can you not contact the charity direct with some constructive criticism? And why on earth is it only open for babies under 1?

Ooh x-posts with freudian, that's a great idea! You should set up your own group, I'm sure it would be popular especially if you didn't force the 'mummies' to sing

I would personally contact Flying Start and put across your concerns.

sounds absolutely hideous.

The only mother and new baby group where i live is just as weird and exclusively for BF women, and it appears to be run by the Brestapo. I got told off (literally, and i am in my 30's FFS) as I expressed occasionally to let DH feed etc. I am properly pro breast feeding, but this exclusive club make me want to turn up with a bottle just to rebel.

I am due any day with DC2, and know I am going to get nagged into going by the HV. But I plan to stand firm and hang out with the mums I know as a little club of our own. They are normal people who see past my mammaries.

Why dont you go so you can feel smug and superior and pat yourself on the back!!

Why do you have to go? To impart your wisdom?

the group here they call them selves lactivists! i have been breastfeeding for the last 4 years (have 2 children)-i was scared by them!

Its not about feeling 'smug and superior' - the comments were made by the woman running it, not by the other parents.

I don't give a flying fig how other parennts choose to do things.

I do care if trained HCPs are talking blatant bullshit and giving advice that could damage BF relationships, at what is meant to be a BF group!

And yes, I do feel I have to go and see if they really are giving that sort of advice out because I can't very well voice any concerns to Flying Start if I haven't actually been and heard it for myself.

Not much of a BF support group if BFers don't want to go to it because they are in such a minority and the advice doled out is duff, is it?

Fuck that. I too would start my own group. Preferably running at the same time as the other group so that women will not get crap info actually have a chance of successfully BF.

Well, myself and a few friends do have our own weekly BFers meet-up but I'm not sure it'd pass muster as an official group.

Mainly its cake and gossip and sometimes G&Ts in my kitchen.

How do you start a proper group? Don't you need a venue and insurance and CRB checks and all that malarkey?

You could always look at all the national charities i.e LLL, NCT, ABM (lots of TLAs there ) and see if you can train with them? And start up a 'support' group in the meantime with accurate info - LLL do an enormous range of leaflets.

You can train to be a peer supporter (through the organisations that wotmania mentioned, which is a short course, rather than a full BF counsellor course. You can then run drop in groups and they sort out all the details of insurance and what have you.

As you say, you would need to go and see what's going on yourself if you made a complaint, but the advice, if it is being given out like this, is really very poor - although not much different to many HVs :(

I'm not sure where the "smug and superior" part was meant to be, either , and I totally understand where you're coming from.

I'm a Sure Start trained peer supporter but we don't have Sure Start where we now live.

Going to look into starting something official and better.