"Breastfeeding support for Every Mum"

I had my daughter at the end of last year and planned to breast feed her due to the evidenced benefits to both baby and mum. I read the many leaflets and links provided by midwifes and watched the dvd provided but nothing prepared me for the difficulties we experienced following her birth. I fell ill during the end of my pregnancy and had a difficult recovery including separation from my newborn who Admitted to SCBU a few hours after her birth. My daughter lost 9.8% of birth weight on discharge home and we were simply told to feed every three hours. Feeling a bit deflated that I was failing my daughter we stopped and got formula on the way home as back up.

Our community midwife was fantastic and helped us with breast feeding and with advice re top ups with expressed milk. We had a slow weight gain but we got there, with the community midwife visiting initially daily and then reducing intensity once satisfied feeding was established. We were discharged 4 weeks after birth which I know is not the norm and I am so entirely grateful for the high level of support and care received from the Sutherland Midwife team. However, this care had to come to an end. I began to attend a breastfeeding support group out with my area, in the absence of one close to home, which is facilitated by an infant feeding support worker. The support my daughter and I receive from the group and particular of the NHS infant feeding support worker is tremendous and it is this support that enables me to breast feed.

Every mum should have access to the infant feeding support worker. From having fantastic - easy to access breast feeding support from the community midwife - to going solo with no follow on support was hard and many a time I felt I was failing my daughter and therefore planned to cease breastfeeding. I am so grateful for the wonderful formal support I have had in the community to help me breastfeed my daughter without this support I know this journey would have ended. I write this story to highlight the fantastic work that is out there but also plead that the NHS in this current financial climate recognise the valuable contribution infant feeding support workers make to families and invest in these fantastic roles.