Breastfeeding Counsellor Training

[WrigglyWorm]

Morning all - apologies if this is in the wrong place Mumsnet. I want to train to become a breastfeeding counsellor. Just with a view to volunteering locally. I have done some research online but the NCT courses seem to be tied up with further education Btec etc and others I have found seem good... but maybe a little flaky!? Does anyone have any recent experience of this and can anyone recommend a good course. Thanks guys!

The NCT training is good and the new course they are offering is even better. But it is expensive - you'd need a grant from somewhere if you can't afford to pay. Many people choose NCT because its a Diploma so you get an academic qualification too, but equally others are put off by the academic side.

BfN and LLL courses are both also very good and well worth looking at. You do get academic credits, I believe, but both courses are more practical and I think quicker to complete than NCT.

ABM I think is almost all distance learning, so can work well if you live in an isolated part of the country.

How about talking to BFCs in your local area to see what's going on? As a qualified BFC you'll want to make sure of lots of opportunities to work, and this may be easier with a charity that has a strong and active network near where you live.

Also consider whether you want the training to lead to paid work, or intend to work on a voluntary basis.