Trust provides invaluable support to breastfeeding mums

Transcript

00:00Part of my role involves providing the community specialist infant feeding support service

00:06alongside our community breast pump loan service. These services aim to provide support at home

00:14to families and their babies on their feeding journeys and this can be for a variety of

00:19different reasons. It just ensures that early support is put in place because we all know

00:25how overwhelming it can be with a new baby and definitely the earlier weeks can present with

00:33more challenges so having that support available to you within the community setting and within

00:39provided within your own home can really make such a difference to families. So in the beginning

00:46Cora was born with a tongue tie so I availed of quite a few services. Kelly came out and did a

00:52feeding assessment with us, assessed her tongue tie, we got it clipped and then I was a really

00:58regular attendee of the breastfeeding support group which is great because it just lets you

01:03know that you're not alone in those early days. It's really important with my first child I didn't

01:07attend any support groups or I wasn't really aware of any of the services that they offered

01:10and our journey only really lasted around two weeks and so this time I was a lot more determined

01:15and really informed myself and felt really supported throughout the whole journey and we're

01:20still feeding now so it's been really successful. Also we have breastfeeding support groups

01:28and they would be scattered throughout the trust at different venues and peer-to-peer support is

01:34so valuable to sitting with another mum alongside them who is still on their feeding journey.

01:44It's a very different type of support so referrals into these services can be made

01:48from your baby is 14 days of age and onward and referrals will generally come in through our

01:55health visiting service or other involved healthcare professionals. The biggest feedback

02:00for me is getting that update from the family health visitor to say that the issues may be

02:07presenting for a family have resolved over time and that they're continuing on their breastfeeding journey.