NHS Best Buddies Peer Support?

[Midori1999]

Has anyone heard of this or does anyone have any experience of it? My HV suggested it to me today as I mentioned I'm considering peer support/becoming a BF counsellor in the future. (Mainly as I feel had I had more support and information, I would have continued to BF my first 3DC) It's an 8 week course.

I think my main questions are whether the training is any good and if doing it is likely to affect me being accepted for training in the future with any other organisation, but any information at all would be helpful.

Thanks.

I am a Breast Buddies peer supporter. We all did LLL training.

I've done an NHS peer support course but not sure if it was the same as a Best Buddies one tbh. It was basically 2 hours for 6 weeks so quite a brief introduction to how breastfeeding works, listening skills and general bfing problems that we could encounter.

It was a good introduction, but I found it fairly basic. It also showed me how much I've learnt from mumsnet. Have since gone on to do the ABM Mother Supporter module with a view to doing the bfc course with them. (The NHS course was not enough on its own to go straight to the bfc course).

hth

My course was run by NHS but it was called 'Bosom Buddies'. It sounds pretty similar to the one Crikeybadger describes.
I found it really interesting, but it was only a brief introduction.

Thankyou.

Can I ask in what ways you offer support to other Mums following the training? Do you attend a BF group etc. Do you feel you've been able to support/help people?

Yes, I am one. Which area are you in?

I'm in Edinburgh.

Me too. PM me if you like

I attend a bfing support group once a week, sometimes more. I chat generally to women about how they are getting on and give them encouragement. We obviously can't help with specific medical questions but we can reassure women that their experiences are normal bfing behaviour. We can also bust any myths that crop up, like the women who told me that her DH thought she had a plentiful milk supply because she drank lots of full fat milk during pregnancy!

We are also going to be let loose in the hospital's postnatal ward in a couple of months time. I think this is where the support is really needed, especially as these wards are often short staffed.

Thanks so much.

I will PM mawbroon, thankyou.

Thankyou crikeybadger, that sounds like it could actually be really helpful to people.

I got your PM. Have replied.