Raising awareness during breastfeeding week
It’s Breastfeeding Week.
Peer support groups across Highland are looking at ways they can offer more support to breastfeeding mums or pregnant women who are thinking about breastfeeding once their child is born.
There are already a number of breastfeeding peer support groups across the Highlands which meet, regularly allowing breastfeeding mums to meet each other to share their experiences and offer support.
A facebook account, Highland Breastfeeding Support, has already been set up where mums can find out about events and where to go for further information and, as of next week, you can now keep up with all the latest news on their new twitter account, www.twitter.com/NHSH_Breastfeed.
Karen Mackay, NHS Highland Infant Feeding Advisor, explained the account will be used and monitored by the breastfeeding peers and she hopes that breastfeeding mums from across the area will find it helpful.
She said: “We have an excellent group of peers who work really hard in supporting mums both in and out of hospital.
“Breastfeeding is not always easy. Some mums can find it quite difficult, particularly in the early days, and sometimes all that is needed to encourage them to carry on is some friendly support and advice from someone who has done it themselves.
“By using Twitter we have another way of getting in touch with people, offering advice and support and for people to get back in touch with us.”
Breastfeeding provides a baby with the very best start in life and is also beneficial to the mother’s health.
Benefits for the baby may include reducing the risk of developing obesity and diabetes. For the mother, they include a reduced risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer.
It is also cheaper than bottle-feeding and is part of the bonding process between mother and child.
Breastfeeding Awareness week starts this week and Karen and her team of volunteers will be working hard to raise awareness of breastfeeding across Highland.
This will include breastfeeding peer support groups, a teaching session in Grantown Primary where p7’s will relate their knowledge of mammals to breastfeeding mums and the continual provision of telephone support.
Anyone wanting more information or support with breastfeeding should contact NHS Highland Infant Feeding Advisor Karen Mackay on 01463 704842 or by email at Karen.mackay3@nhs.net.
