Are you a peer supporter with an NHS group? Please come and tell me about it?

[InTheDollshouse]

Are there any peer supporters who volunteer at NHS breastfeeding clinics/support groups? Would you mind telling me a bit about it?

What were the criteria to become a peer supporter?

What kind of training did you do?

If you have toddlers/preschool children, are you allowed to bring them along to the group?

Are mothers who are seeking help (i.e. with a second or subsequent baby) allowed to bring their toddlers?

Thank you so much!

i htink it depends on where you live, the type of peer support that is available.
in our area (central scotland) we do home visits mostly though we can go to the groups as well.
you need to have BF for at least 6 weeks.
we did 3 full days training. mostly on positioning and attachment.. also on how to talk to new moms etc.
as for taking toddlers. if you are a volunteer i wouldn't recommend it as it's too distracting. and you really should be concentrating on the mum that you are trying to help rather than constantly checking on your child.
if you are just attending a group, i think it would depend on the group. the one i went to was in a big hall and there were lots of toys that the children could play with so it was fine. some groups don't have the space for older children.
HTH!

I have trained as a peer supporter but haven't actually done any supporting yet becuase there are not that many people signed up to the scheme.

We trained for 2 hrs a week, for 8 weeks. There was a free creche for the children in the next room to us.

The system is that mothers express an interest in having a peer supporter at booking in. Then, once they have had the baby, the peer supporter phones or meets up with them to chat about how things are going. Basically we are there to cheer them on but obviously have to know enough to spot when they need help with a breastfeeding problem.

So no groups as such IYSWIM.

The training was not particularly in depth, and tbh, I didn't learn anything that I hadn't already learned from MN

Thank you both, that's really interesting.

x

Anyone else?