National Breastfeeding Awareness Week

[organiccarrotcake]

Help needed!

Anyone had any experience of organising anything? What works, what doesn't?

Any suggestions at all most welcome. While my main role is within NCT (local branch volunteer as opposed to HO) I would be coordinating between NCT, NHS (where I have lots of BFing support contacts) and a PCT-funded BFing support organisation. I have links with Children's Centres, etc, as well.

I would also like to bring in donor milk banking promotion.

Many thanks.

having looked through some of the threads on here it all feels a bit pointless. Seems even the fact BFing is good for babies is now under attack. Sorry to be bleak - I love BFing and wish to God we had better rates in this country but the level of hatred against it, and anyone who dares to suggest it, is utterly vitriolic. So sorry to be damp squib, I am a terrible proponent of BFing tonight! But good luck (heaves miserable and overweight bottom off for a bath to calm down )

Whereabouts in the UK are you? What sort of help do you need? I'd love to help with something like this and am SO passionate about bf, if I can't help with this, can you think of something else I could do?

TCOB Awww, cripes do I know what you mean.

However, I keep, keep, keep coming across ladies who really want to BF and need help to do so. I just feel that every one of those that I can help is a person that would otherwise have maybe not BF and felt sad about it.

I don't intend to change anyone's mind who doesn't have an interest/doesn't feel BF has value/feels that supporting people in what they want to do is the same as making people feel guilty. I do, honestly, have better things to do with my life than go out to make people feel guilty . But the point is that there are women who need AND WANT help (and I have been that woman, and got it), so we have work still to do :)

Enjoy your bath. I may join you - IYSWIM .

titty I'm in West Yorkshire (I can be contacted by email through this website). What I'm looking for is ideas from people who have organised BFAW events but if you're interested in BFing support there's loads of things you can do - what have you considered? :)

organic you sound just the kind of upbeat person who will really help to make a difference. When is the week BTW?

tcob what a nice thing to say :)

It's June 19-25

I don't know really tbh OCC, I looked into a peer supporter type course but I think I'd be doing it more because I found it interesting rather then because I could be an actual peer supporter (I'll have to go back to work full time after mat leave). I have just started donating bm which I sort of see as helping, in a way. I really don't know what I could do that would be useful. I have been boring all my pregnant friends with the joys of bf!

I agree with, tcob, I have read loads of your posts occ and they are always helpful, accurate and non-judgemental.

titty Not sure about how you'd view my last post then, on another thread. I just had a bit of a rant about people saying that BF supporters "make women feel guilty". . But it's out of my system now .

Peer support courses are great because you learn loads about BFing, and you can then pass on helpful and accurate information to your friends. Many of them don't oblige you to take on a role with them afterwards. The more people who do it, the better, I think.

Donating BM is AMAZING. Joining www.ukamb.org would support that, too. I have encouraged local mums to donate to our milk bank which is about an hour away, so too far for most to want to drive to, by getting them to drop it with me and I take it over in batches with my own. It's easy as long as you have a good enough freezer. I promote it through the local NCT, posters at the doctors' surgeries in the area, leaflets in the scanning waiting room at the hospital, and so on (all provided by the milk bank). Just a thought for you? I've raised an extra 45 litres for our milk bank, but remember that a small preemie baby may only need 2oz a day so as they say, every drop counts.

I work as well, and it's really hard to juggle everything, but I LOVE it so much so that I just have to do it!

Anyway, going back to BFAW - any ideas, anyone??!!

Hold a breastfeeding picnic. I'm trying to organise one round my way. Lots of info on Facebook about how etc... good luck!

Oh nuts, I will probably have stopped bfing by then. Will I be barred from picnics?

I hadn't thought about the peer supporter course in that way, I sort of figured that as I wouldn't be able to be 'gainfully employed' in that role it would be a bit of a waste, but I suppose it would be useful for my friends etc?

Sorry for the thread hijack!

A picnic sounds great, but whatever you do it would not be complete without boob cakes (not my cakes, I can't find the pic of the ones I made).