I have been inspired by posts on here and elsewhere - by being angry at the level of "support" most women seem to experience when they are experiencing difficulty with breastfeeding - to want to do something to help.
Is it completely ridiculous for me to want to train as a bf supporter? My DS is 4 and a half months and I haven't really had any big problems feeding him but I know that mainly my success is attributed to spending far too long on internet forums discussing breastfeeding and just knowing what to expect - and knowing there was someone I could call if I did need any help. I am quite young as well - I was 19 when I became pregnant, 20 now, but I look younger and everyone seemed surprised when I said I was planning to breastfeed. My DP and his family have not been very supportive of my decision, not because they are hostile towards it, just because they are not familiar with bf.
I would love to in particular support young mums who want to breastfeed - a friend of mine who was 18 when her baby was born wanted to but had problems in hospital and the midwives made her feel awful when she switched to formula, without even seeming to offer any helpful advice on how to persevere with bf. Her DS did get the small amount of colostrum she managed to express (I was so proud of her for insisting!)
So I was just wondering if anyone has trained as a bf supporter, and how much it costs, how much experience you have to have etc. We haven't got a lot of spare money at the moment but it's something I really want to do. Also, once you are trained, how does it work, and would I be able to take my DS with me as I don't think I can afford to do voluntary work if I would have to pay out for childcare.