Help and support for Breastfeeding

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Its probably worth thinking about the people who are around you every day because they are goig to be your primary source of support, welcome or otherwise. It has been shown that women with supportive partners succeed at breastfeeding more often than those without, but it is important to get to grips with their ideas BEFORE your baby is born. If you know someone close to you is quite ante-breastfeeding then you can be prepared for their reaction... and prepare them for yours! Perhaps the most important people to identify are friends and family who will tell you they are supportive, but do not actually understand and/or have not breastfed themselves. Often the "support" they give will be, at best, based on second hand information, and may end up being a mess of misconceptions and divided loyalties. Welcome the help they can give, but keep the right perspective on it.

I suggest everyone has someone lined up to turn to if things turn out to be more difficult than expected. The best people are trained breastfeeding councillers, a midwife that you know well and trust can also be a fantastic support... but beware some may not be as pro-breastfeeding as you expect. A close friend or relation, preferably someone who has recently, or is currently, breastfeeding their own baby will also be good.

Try to attend a breastfeeding workshop at your maternity hospital, or take parentcraft lessons including breastfeeding advice.

Here are some of the places you can turn to for advise in the UK.

La Leche Legue

La Leche Legue (GB), BM 3424, London WC1N 3XX
Phone: 0171 242 1278.
The LLL is a registered charity and organises coffee morings and other groups for breastfeeding mothers. They also have trained breastfeeding councillers in your area.

The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers

Sydenham Green Health Center, 26 Holnshaw Close, Sydenham, London, SE26 4TH
Phone: 0181 778 4769.
This group provides support and advice, and also runs local groups for breastfeeding mothers.

National Childbirth Trust

Alexandra House, Oldham Terrace, Acton, London W3 6NH
Phone: 0181 992 8637.
The NCT is a very active registered charity in the UK. They are a more general group for expectant and new parents. They do all sorts of support work, which includes antenatal classes, local coffee mornings and toddler groups. Specifically for breastfeeding mothers they provide a network of local breastfeeding councillers, a rental service for electric breastpumps, and a nursing bra service.

Expressions Breastfeeding