Learning to be a peer supporter or BFC (or whatever) if you haven't breastfed

[Pruners]

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The training courses I know about would not accept someone who has not breastfed, but that does not mean someone who has not breastfed cannot support bf women in other ways.

It's just they can't do it in a peer supporter way.

Peer supporter training moves someone on from their own experience, but values the personal experience for the depth and insight it brings.

HTH

All the ones that I have heard of require you to have breastfed yourself

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i'm a breastfeeding peer supporter - i breastfed both my kids - and on my training course there were 3 women who had neither breastfed or had kids - i found this strange myself and i would prefer my support to have come from someone who had breastfed successfully.
one of the 3 went on to have a baby and breastfed him very successfully so i'm sure it helped her!

popsycal - wouldn't you get a crick in your neck?

Depends on how many children you've had (bf or ff). By the time I got to number 3 I could do it without a crick in my neck - definitely failing the pencil test!

Is a Peer Supporter different to a Breastfeedign Counsellor?

What bf yourself???
Sorry, it's late...I've had wine...

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Lol, SPB . Just a taste!

somebody gets me

Hi Pruners

There was a surestart Peer Supporters course at my local surestart. It was brilliant and there were women on it who had only managed to BF for a very short time. It was all about being given detailed information on all aspects of BF and then to go on to empower BF mums with information and support - not anecdotal experience. There was allot of emphasis on using language like 'some women find that' rather than 'I found that'. They really made a big deal of this - information and support not personal opinion. So no, I don't think it matters.