talks to pregnant ladies on Breastfeeding

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

I'm preg with DC2 and still feeding DS (11m) and my midwife has asked if I'd be happy to do a talk/q&a session with other pregnant ladies. I am, so I agreed to do it in the future.
Has anyone here done this before?

Not done this Beyond, is there a local BFC that you could talk to beforehand so that she can suggest things to say?

Are you thinking of tandem feeding too?

Yes, I'm as peer supporter and I came in for the last half hour of the NHS antenatal breastfeeding session.

I think it's just a matter of using your experience to answer their questions, whilst emphasing that all babies are different. I got asked about drinking alcohol whilst bfing, routines and my all time top tips for bfing.

I tried to get across the point about realistic expectations regarding frequency of feeding and tiredness and how much support they would need in the early days. Oh and to try not to listen to well meaning relatives who say things like "is that baby feeding again?", or the 'ol rod for your back line about holding the baby too much etc etc.

hth

Oo thanks!

I guess there probably is a local BFC but I have no idea as I've never contacted her. Yes I will tandem feed, assuming DS doesnt wean on his own before DC2 comes :)

It might be worth getting in touch with your local NCT and LLL to see if they have got any leaflets or handouts that you could give out too.

Know that they both produce some excellent handouts like this one from LLL and it might also be worth finding out where the local support groups are and the numbers of the local BFCs and giving those out too.

Have got to admire for the tandem feeding too, couldn't quite face it myself.

They might be interested in the tandem feeding, my guess is that most people think you have to give up bfing once you get pregnant again.

Would be good to mention some of the resources available online too- kellymom, drjacknewman and biological nurturing for eg.

Ahh, leaflets are a great idea!

Thinking about this, I think its something I could really do! I wonder how you become a BFC...

Most LLL groups put together 'new mum' packs with a few different leaflets in. If there's a group near you then it's worth dropping them an email and asking if they can recommend some resources. And they do BFC training so you can ask about that too

Oooh beyond if you're interested in training as a BFC that would be fab :)

You can train with NCT, LLL or ABM. NCT's course costs around £4k I think but if you're in an area where they want new BFCs they will fund most of that and you get a diploma at the end of it.

ABM is all done by post rather than with tutorials (which th NCT have) so suits some better, others not so much. I'm not sure how the LLL's works. NCT is the only one to give a diploma at the end but each organisation's course is of the same level. The reason the NCT's is expensive is because they pay money to the university who certifies the diploma.

There may be an opportunity with the NCT to earn money as a BFC doing antenatal classes, but this isn't necessarily going to happen and probably isn't the best reason to choose them over another charity because it's not something you can rely on - but it's possible.

Hope this helps! I'm off for a few days but there's loads of people here who can give info or advice. I'm training with ABM and highly recommend them. Tiktok is an NCT fully qualified BFC and rates them very highly too. A few of us have done peer support or mother support (basically the same thing) with various different organisations (I've done peer support with the PCT and mother support with ABM as part of my transfer to BFC training) - there's - what - 5 or 6 regularly posting peer/mother supporters?

Thats brilliant help! I've just emailed NCT to ask for some info...
(I dont seem to have a local LLL, seems there arent any in Wales?)
Going to look up ABM now and hopefully I'll email them too

Weyhey, just emailed ABM too, that was quicker to find than I thought it would be!
Am getting excited now!!

I can give some insight on LLL training. It's very flexible as most of the people doing it have young children. There are lots of ways to do training- in person, via email, by post, over the phone or any combination of the above. You work out a way that suits you with the person that's helping you train.
There's more information here.

x-posted. Here are the Welsh groups.

Ahh, thank you Eau , I've just emailed them too.
Now we wait...

Depending where you are in Wales there is the BfN to (Breat feeding network) I trained as a helper with them last year and have just started doing antinatal talk's.

The problem I found with the NCT was trying to get the funding to do the course dispite there not being a BFC in our area. I would have had to fund my own expensies and then find the money for child care to. Considering it's a mainly voluntree roll I found this an obsitcal to doing the course.