It's one of the simplest things you could need, yet so many women still aren't receiving it. Support in Breastfeeding. Be it help in actually getting things established, or simply listening to you as you winge about being engorged again - support is always key. I've decided to keep things local today and list the support available for those of us in Edinburgh & The Lothians.
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Midwives. They're a bit like Marmite - you love them or you hate them! If you're lucky enough to get a good one, grab hold of her from your first pregnancy appointment & don't let her go! I was lucky in that I had the best couple of midwives you could imagine. From answering the phone for the billionth time when John wouldn't latch, to being behind me 100% when I said I planned to tandem breastfeed. In fact, we had such a great relationship when it came to breastfeeding that they even invited me to speak at an antenatal class when John was a few months old.
That being said, my midwives were also the lactation specialists and ran the Breastfeeding Clinic for our area so they were very knowledgeable. If you don't feel like your midwife is much help, ask to be referred on to someone who is. Even if they don't seem clued up on breastfeeding, they'll have the contacts to those who are.
Breastfeeding Clinics. There are Breastfeeding Clinics throughout Edinburgh & The Lothians which are run by the NHS in various hospitals & health centres. Given how great my midwives were, I never had to attend one, however I've heard fantastic things about them. You can ask to be referred by your midwife, health visitor or GP, or you can just drop in. The Breastfeeding Clinics take time to help with the average appointment time being 2 hours, during which they'll take a history of your issues, watch your wee one feed, then identify the issues & work on a plan of action.
For a full list of Breastfeeding Clinics & when they're on, click here.
La Leche League. I was late in discovering the La Leche League [LLL] (when I was pregnant with David) but I'm glad I found them in the end. La Leche League (pronounced la lay-chay) is an international charitable organisation founded to give information and encouragement, mainly through mother-to-mother support, to all women who want to breastfeed their babies. I absolutely love going to the LLL meetings as there's no where else that you'll come across as many women who're happy to breastfeed their children without hesitation & eager to support each other in any way possible. It's the perfect place to not only gain support & advice in any breastfeeding issues but it's also fab for just talking to like-minded Mum's. Plus their meetings have a library of breastfeeding related books that you can borrow out too.
La Leche League Edinburgh meet twice a month for both a Baby Meeting & Toddler Meeting, but I've been welcomed at both with a baby & toddler in tow. And the great thing about LLL is that they have a 24 hour helpline and their group leaders are happy to be contacted between meetings too. The LLL Edinburgh also have a Facebook Group which is brilliant for those times between the groups when you need some moral support or just fancy talking boobs!
Psst! We also featured in the LLL magazine, Breastfeeding Matters in November/December 2013. Click here to see.
Feed Good Factor. There's a lot to be said for the NHS, especially here in Scotland (mine is positive, by the way!) but one thing I personally think they've done extremely well in is their breastfeeding support website, The Feed Good Factor. Not only does it explain the basics, like how to breastfeed, it also has a Myth Buster feature, a Troubleshooter help tool and a postcode search for local support groups a little closer to home. Plus their poster campaigns never fail to get a giggle from me. I highly recommend having a nosey is you're considering or planning to breastfeed, already facing problems or hoping to help some who is looking to breastfeed.
Friends & Family. It may seem like an obvious one but not everyone does get support from their loved ones. The important thing to remember is that generally, people mean well (& if they don't, well, you don't really need me to tell you do not need that negativity in your life!) and it pays to take any advice you're unsure of with a pinch of salt. It may help to make your wishes to breastfeed known before your wee one comes along and ask in advance that they support you in anyway you think will help. These could include, keeping visits brief at first, bringing you easy to cook & eat meals, not asking "when will you be introducing a bottle/dummy"... And make sure you instruct your other half to get you a glass of water & a breakfast bar each time you sit down to feed - breastfeeding is thirst & hunger inducing business! Having the support of those who mean the most to you will always be a step in the right direction.
See what these other lovely ladies have to say in the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt.
And for the ultimate in breastfeeding support, hop on over to TalkMum who have kindly donated a 3 Month Supply of Pregnacare Breastfeeding Support Supplements to the Keep Britain Breastfeeding Scavenger Hunt.
My partner and my mum have been my main support x
ReplyDeletemy best friend who fed my godson until he was 2.5 x
ReplyDeletemy sister who is feeding my niece
ReplyDeletemy husband and the breastfeeding advisor at my local children's centre.
ReplyDeleteMy friend who was very successful at it
ReplyDeleteMy husband.
ReplyDeleteMy husband <3
ReplyDeleteMy friends who are also Mums.
ReplyDeletemy husband
ReplyDeleteMyself!
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately I didn't breastfeed
ReplyDeleteMy husband and my mum are my greatest supporters.
ReplyDeletemy partner
ReplyDeleteMy mum x
ReplyDeleteMy husband
ReplyDeleteMy mum with lots of advice
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