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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

Anyone done the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers training?

26 replies

Lilliput · 03/12/2007 12:17

How did you get on with it? I'm about to apply for the training for Mother Supporter to compliment my Doula course.

OP posts:
jellies · 03/12/2007 13:16

I have done it with the NCT see the web site!

Original poster
Lilliput · 03/12/2007 13:21

How long did it take you to complete the course with the NCT

OP posts:
jellies · 03/12/2007 14:07

It was an intensive 3 day course run at the hospital, its really good!!! But makes you very broody... I fell pregnant 2 months after doing it!

rnbsmum · 03/12/2007 14:12

I did the ABM peer supporter training 3.5 years ago. I found it fascinating. It was 6 2-3 hour sessions, I think.

Original poster
Lilliput · 03/12/2007 14:24

What have you done with the training since you did it?

OP posts:
Original poster
Lilliput · 03/12/2007 18:24

bump

OP posts:
Lindiriel · 10/12/2007 21:49

Hi Lilliput,

Like you I'm also a Doula looking to complete my Mother Supporter training with ABM. I'm just waiting to hear when I start. In the long term I hope to become trained as a BF counsellor.
The MS course is done as a correspondence module so you can complete it in your own time.
The ABM website gives loads of info. I contacted our local ABM counsellor and she kindly invited me along to her local group meetings which has been a brilliant way to see what's involved although I won't be a counsellor for a long time yet, and it's a good way to start meeting local mums.

HTH,

Kath

gigglewitchyouamerrychristmas · 10/12/2007 21:50

I have done the la leche version - fab!!!

natmatt · 29/12/2007 13:05

i went on the abm webpage but didnt find the info

obviously looking in wrong bit!!

kiskidee · 30/12/2007 07:23

i've done the ABM Mother Supporter course. it is done by correspondence and you are given 3 or 4 months in which to complete it. Mothers who have bf at least one child for at least 6 months can qualify to train. email early in Jan and they will send you out a training pack with full details.

tiktok · 30/12/2007 10:26

jellies - which course did you do?

I don't think we do courses of the sort you describe - perhaps it was with another organisation?

Normal training with NCT to become a breastfeeding counsellor is about 2.5 - 3 years, and peer support breastfeeding training is never intensive in the way you describe, but spread over several months.

Sounds like it was a UNICEF course you did, am I right?

Klaw · 30/12/2007 10:37

I am about to start training to be a Peer Supporter at my local hospital. Will be getting the same training that the MW get and then will go into the hospital to support new mothers as they begin bf.

Am still waiting to hear when/if ABM will be doing any training up my way. Maybe I should call the ABM contact and see what's what, as it's been a while since she contacted the Scottish Doulas to enquire about interest from us

JodieG1 · 30/12/2007 10:38

I've done the mother support and have started training to be a breastfeeding counsellor now. I found it quite easy but I'd already read lots about breastfeeding and I'm still feeding ds2.

Klaw · 30/12/2007 10:58

Natmatt, you are looking for this page

I'm sure that a Scottish ABM person was interested in doing study days with the Doulas in Scotland, that's what I was thinking of in my previous post....

Natmatt are you with SDN now? If so, are you going to the meeting in Jan? It's really too far for me but will be fairly close for you. I've been invited to a local Baby Fair on same day so may do that instead.

PrismManchip · 30/12/2007 11:07

I was told recently that the Scottish ABM person (if we are thinking of the same one, Klaw) hasn't actually ever been contacted by anyone in relation to her doula offer!
I am planning to contact ehr in the New Year

Klaw · 30/12/2007 11:15

Maybe she never got enough interest... I certainly emailed her

Actually I'm sure that I called her and we talked about getting the Doulas from Aberdeen down to St Andrews area involved in a session...

I don't recognise your screen name, who are you? >

well, I'm looking forward to the local Peer Support training I'm doing in Feb so will see how that goes and whether I feel I need more after that

natmatt · 30/12/2007 14:37

hiya,

klaw, i didnt breastfeed my 2

but just because i didnt do it doesnt mean i cant help othere?? informed choice and all that!!

i havent joined the sdn as yet klaw, get round to it one day

natmatt · 30/12/2007 14:38

forgot to say, im doing a course thru my local hospital its the 2 day unicef course the midwives do .

tiktok · 30/12/2007 18:10

natmatt, all the vol orgs ask that you have breastfed before training with them , but of course breastfeeding mothers can be supported by many different people in many different ways, so don't rule out training in some other way.

tiktok · 30/12/2007 18:11

Ah, I see you are doing the 2-day unicef course

tiktok · 30/12/2007 18:13

Have to say, a 2 day course with no other training would not equip anyone to cope with real life breastfeeding situations and mothers....surely you'll be doing more than this, natmatt?

natmatt · 30/12/2007 19:42

hopefully yes, but as ive said i keep getting turned away because i havent breastfed..

please let me know of any others who you think might let me in!!

tiktok · 30/12/2007 22:30

nat, as I say, none of the vol orgs will train you, as having experienced breastfeeding is very important to their training, at peer supporter and counsellor level. So I can't really help, sorry....there may be locally-developed peer support schemes that might accept you. Or you could become a maternity care assistant.

Or even have another baby

natmatt · 31/12/2007 14:52

hiya, tik tok

no other babies im afraid! i work for ggc as a nursing assistant but i work with postnatal women, most cant breastfeed due to medication.
i have asked aaa nhs as i live in ayrshire and its thru them im doing the unicef course.

why can midwives givesupport even if they havent b/fed?

tiktok · 31/12/2007 18:48

Of course people can offer support and help with breastfeeding whatever their own experience or not, and whether they are male or female, mothers or not mothers, midwives or doctors or whatever.

But this is not peer support or breastfeeding counselling, and personal experience of bf is essential to the sort of training offered by all these schemes.

It's great that you as a nursing assistant can get training in how to support bf - think of what you do as different from peer support and breastfeeding counselling, though there will be some overlap, of course.

Why are 'most' of the women you work with unable to breastfeed because of medication issues? ....the only group of women I can think of who that applies to are women with severe mental illness like schizophrenia or other major psychosis, as some of the heavy duty meds used for these illness may not be compatible with bf. Oh, and women who are undergoing cancer therapies.

And that's about it, as I understand it.