Breastfeeding Peer Supporter

Hi Ladies,

I'm going to be starting training next Friday to become a volunteer breastfeeding supporter. I'm soo excited, and glad I'll have something to help with my PS. Do any of you ladies currently do this? If so any advice is welcome

Hi ,I started the Le Leche League B/F peer support training a couple of weeks ago and I am really enjoying it! I have an interview at Notts in a month so im hoping this course will help me.

Hi, I am a breastfeeding peer supporter in Plymouth and have been since 2007. I absolutely love doing it and have volunteered at a variety of groups and events such as breastfeeding awareness week. It is a fantastic opportunity to work with women and to support them and very rewarding to see fantastic outcomes and make a difference to womens lives. I am so passionate about it and it has given me invaluable experiences that I can hopefully take forward with me in my (hopefully soon to be) career in midwifery. Good luck, hope you enjoy xx

Thanks for the responses, I'm soo excited. Good luck with your interview rockchick - I'm sure you'll do great!x

Thank you, its getting really hard to carry on with normal life when everything is crossed hahaha I just want it to be now, the wait is killing me!! Enjoy your training, it really is fascinating stuff. Books to read are The politics of Breastfeeding by Gabrielle Palmer and The Politics of Breastfeedign: Milk Money & Madness (can't remember the author of that one) both fantastic reads that are proper eye openers. There is also a great article that was published in The Ecologist in 2006 called Suck on This that is very informative. Baby Friendly website is also good I like to read lol xx

Why thanks that is soo helpful. I've just been looking on amazon at a few books I wanted to buy, so will check those out. I have just finished Catching Babies by Sheena Byrom so looking for something else to get stuck into.x

I'm a peer supporter too and it's a great role. I currently run a bf cafe and am awaiting my role in hospital to start too. I learnt so many things I had no idea of when doing the training, I really wish I had done it before bf my own children!

I'm currently training to be a breastfeeding peer supporter with Barnardos and am really enjoying it. I am half way through the 9 week course and really look forward to each week's session. I have learnt so much already but know that there is tonnes more. I am hoping that this will ultimately help me towards applying for a midwifery degree place in 2014. Good luck with your training. X

Once you've done the training course what is then involved? Do you then have to hold your own bf groups in your area? How is the training funded?

My training is being provided free through the NHS, once I've completed the course the NHS will refer new mums with feeding issues to me & I will either meet them in person or offer support over the phone, I have been advised it should be no more than 1-2 mums a week. I'm soo excited to get started!