Eulalia, your posting about what b/f support in retrospect you would have liked made me realise how lucky I had been, as I had experienced almost all of your examples of what support you WOULD have liked.
The maternity hospital ran b/f workshops ante-natally that you could sign up for. You could chose one that was a plain one (ie "Mums-to-be" only), "Mums & Dads" or one that was "Mums & Grans". I chose to go to a "Mums & Grans" one - although my Mum was the only "Gran" there. I found it really useful. As well as the bf counsellor who did a really good overview of bf, its benefits, how to do it, the potential problems, expressing options, your rights at work etc, there were 2 b/f mums who talked about their experiences. One was Mum to a real monster - looked about 12 months old when he was only 4 months old, (but then she was a big lass herself) but the other Mum ended up being my inspiration. She was Mum to a "breast refuser" - despite massive support, he just would not latch on and she was on the point of committing herself to feeding him exclusively on EBM (so that at least he would get the "content" benefits, if not the physiological ones) when someone came up with the idea of feeding him through a nipple shield - which worked. (He seemd to "want" an elongated nipple!). Last time I saw her, when her ds was about 6 months old, she was planning on continuing to b/f till he was a year (although he still refused to feed on a "bare" nipple!).
When I had problems with my own ds latching on (getting him to open his mouth was a nightmare - and even when he did, he often "pretended" to feed), this mum was my inspiration. "If she could do it, I can do it".
(BTW - I later returned the favour, and went along a couple of times to the b/f workshop as one of the b/f mothers - and apparently in turn became an inspiration to mums who had difficulties as I too had had to cope with an awkward baby)
B/f was also covered quite well in the "formal" ante natal classes - from memory, quite well, although the more detailed workshop I went to somewhat overshadows it!
The hospital also had plenty of notices around about the various support groups available in the city, plus telephone numbers for support.
Support during the early days while in hospital was excellent. The midwifes would spend up to an hour with me helping me to latch him on. It sometimes took quite a while - especially in the middle of the night - for a midwife to get to me after I'd rung the bell (an auxilliary would come along first) - but that was usually because they were having to spend time with another "awkward" customer/baby!
The sister encouraged me to attend the b/f support group that takes place in the hospital even before I was discharged. (She had to take the security tag off the baby so I could get to it!)
The hospital is very proud of the UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation that it has been awarded - and the b/f support is an essential requirement for that accreditation. The other thing it does- or rather doesn't do - is that they do not have any formula made up. They will make it up as required for any mother that asks for it - but you have to request it as and when required. (I've been told that the other maternity hospitals in the city had formula made up ready in the fridge - but have only been told that second hand - and I believe that they too have since gone for the UNICEF accreditation, so may have stopped doing this)
Having said that, b/f levels are still extremely low in the West of Scotland, with the majority not even starting - or stopping after only a couple of days. Talking to the midwives in the hospital, they say they've tried all sorts - going out to the schools, talking with community groups etc, but with little effect. The problems with the workshops is that they are already self selecting - those people who are committed to b/f (and you could see that the majority were middle class). But the support groups and workshops have had the best long term benefit - albeit a slow one - as there is a gradual "trickle down" effect.
I can't really comment on support in the community - I saw 3 different community midwives in the 10 days I was "under" them - and they were from one of the other maternity hospitals (I had chosen to not to go to my most local maternity hospital). I chose not to "use" them, but to go back to the support group at the hospital and the b/f counsellors there.
I have to admit though that I did make a point of avoiding HVs in case I got a misguided one who would encourage me to give some formula to help ds to gain weight. I knew ds was healthy, he was being seen regularly at the hospital and had been checked by the consultant as a precaution(who was more interested in finding out what my Dad, who used to work at the same hospital, was up to, as ds was clearly healthy).
To this day, I have only seen a HV 4 times - once for the 6 week check, the 4/5 month check and twice for the 8 month check (he needed his hearing re-checked).