Studying to be bf counsellor?

[warthog]

this is probably not the right place to post, but i know that people in the know will look at these topics... hope you don't mind.

i was shocked by the level of bf support offered to new mums at the hospital and within my gp's surgery. i relied on nct counsellors and la leche. i would like to train to be a bf counsellor to give something back. i have no medical background. i'm not afraid of hard work or academic study.

could anyone tell me how to go about it?

what is the difference between a bf counsellor and a lactation consultant?

which one would you advise me to go for?

We got lots of info about Breast feeding Network. They have course for a breast feeding helper (about 10 weeks) and a breast feeding supporter (longer, more essays and stuff).

Seems to me like terminology difference depending on who you talk too! And the rle you would play differnet too. NCT, LLL and BFN do helplines, education stuff and leading groups as well as one to ones...

I did a local course that was designed by booby gurus in our PCT but was nationally acreditted. Was amazing - couldn;t believe how much there was to learn, much more than our 12 weeks worth.

Been offered the BFN course, really fancy it but not sure..... What kind of thing to do you feel you would want to do with your new found knowledge

i am going to train with La Leche, simply because I like their ethos-0 it just fits with how I parent and that kind of thing

you can train with NCT or ABM too. ABM only train you to do telephone counselling- so if you want to look at seeing people in real life then NCT or LLL are best bet

get in touch with your local groups and find out more about it.

I need to correct you: ABM do not just train you to do telephone counselling. Our counsellors are trained to counsel mothers in all different settings. Many of our counsellors visit mothers at home, work in local hospitals, run support groups, etc. A big part of what we do is answering calls on the telephone help lines (the ABM's own as well as the National Breastfeeding Helpline).

All four organisations (ABM, BFN, LLL, NCT) provide a high level of training. Each is slightly different in its focus and method. Look at them all and decide what works best for you.

IlanaK (ABM Central Committee and part of the ABM training team)

ooh sorry Ilana! that's what I was told when I asked someone else who was trained by them, although that was a couple of years ago now!

apologies for that

hmm i'm keen to do hospital work, telephone counseling and one to one.

which one is best to get into hospital work, because i think that seems to be what is needed most? at least, that's where i desperately needed help!

It really isn't about which ones prepares you for a specific type of environment. Each organisation has a different set of requirements both for entry onto the course and for your committment afterwards. Each course is different in its method as well.

You do really need to contact all 4 organisations for their training info (most is available online) and look through it to see what suits you best.

I'm thinking of doing this, but my friend said you have to have fed for six months before you can train. I fed DD1 for four months (and probably wouldn't have stopped so early with proper support) and am now feeding month old DD2, which makes five months, or is it the same child you have to have fed for six months?

ok thank you.

Hello,

You do not need to have fed for 6 months. Some organisations prefer it though. I am a volunteer breastfeeding supporter and we have several mums who only breastfed for a short amount of time but who encountered specific issues whilst doing so which makes them an excellent resource to draw upon when needed.

Some local PCTs run courses where you can train.

I agree with IlanaK. Look into which one suits you and fits in with your ethos on bf.

Good luck.

The breastfeeding for 6 months if for the full breastfeeding counsellor training......it isn't a requirement for peer supporter training.

Can I just offer my encouragement to anyone thinking about training. It's great

I did mine through the nct/pct, then did the Unicef course, then the ABM mother-to-mother course, and am now planning to do the full ABM breastfeeding counsellor course when I go on maternity leave. Helping Mums to successfully breastfeed is one of the most rewarding things i have ever done. I'm a Mum of twins, and the help available for multiples can be quite dire!

Anyway, go for it, is all I can say!

wow! thanks for encouragement. do you do the studying in the evening?