Breastfeeding Peer Support

As well as the support provided by your health professionals, NHS Grampian offers a Breastfeeding Peer Support Service.

Our volunteer breastfeeding peer supporters have all breastfed their own little child(ren) and have undertaken a training programme to provide you with support to meet your personal breastfeeding goals, whatever they may be. You can be allocated a breastfeeding peer supporter before your baby arrives or after by e-mailing gram.breastfeedingsupport@nhs.scot or asking your health professional to pass on your details. Our breastfeeding  peer supporter can also provide information and support to those supporting you, whether that is your partner, parents or others who play a significant role in your life.

Near Me

Whether you are pregnant and thinking about breastfeeding or your baby has arrived, our Midwives, Health Visitor / Family Nurse, Breastfeeding Peer Supporters and the Infant Feeding Team can offer one to one support with breastfeeding using NHS Near Me Video consulting.

To use this service you need access to a device which has a camera and a microphone. The device should be able to access mobile data / WiFi and have the Chrome or Safari browser. It uses a similar amount of data to Skype / Facetime. Don’t let the thought of the camera put you off. Although it can be helpful to see your child attaching to the breast, you can turn your camera on and off. Similarly, you can turn your microphone on and off. There is also a ‘chat’ function where you can exchange messages up to 200 characters.

Speak to your Midwife, Health Visitor/Family Nurse to arrange the appropriate level of Health Care Professional Support required.  Our Breastfeeding Peer Support Service also offers NHS Near Me support. To find out more or to make an appointment with a local breastfeeding peer supporter, e-mail gram.breastfeedingsupport@nhs.scot

Our breastfeeding peer support volunteers are able to provide 1:1 support in the community.

This may be in a local cafe, park or going for a walk together.

Meeting with a peer supporter in the community can be useful before or after your baby arrives – perhaps you have questions about breastfeeding or aren’t sure about how you will feed your baby? Or you want to build your confidence feeding out and   or another member of your support network. Whatever makes you feel comfortable.

To arrange to meet with your local breastfeeding peer supporter, e-mail gram.breastfeedingsupport@nhs.scot

Facebook support

Private facebook groups are a tool to obtain breastfeeding support. When the member of the group creates a post, it can only be seen by the members of that group. The groups are facilitated by trained breastfeeding supporters from the NHS or third sector organisations.

Online Breastfeeding Support Group Links (pdf)

NHS Grampian Phone Support for Breastfeeding

Telephone information and support is, as always, available from your midwife or health visitor / family nurse.

Our Breastfeeding Peer Support service can also provide information and support via phone. E-mail gram.breastfeedingsupport@nhs.scot or call 07990 541351 with your telephone number and we will arrange for you to receive a call back.

National Breastfeeding Helpline

The National Breastfeeding Helpline provides independent, confidential, mother-centred, non-judgmental breastfeeding support and information. It is open 9.30am – 9.30pm every single day of the year.

0300 100 0212

They also have a web chat service and can provide breastfeeding support using Facebook messenger from the National Breastfeeding Helpline Facebook page. More details can be found at www.nationalbreastfeedinghelpline.org.uk

Additional Support

You can seek additional support from a number of sources:

Telephone helplines

• National Childbirth Trust (NCT)
  0300 330 0700 (8am to midnight)
  
  
• La Leche League helpline
  0345 120 2918 (24 hours)
  
  
• Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
  0300 330 5453 (9.30am to 10.30pm)

Useful websites

• Parent Club (Information and advice) - parentclub.scot
• UNICEF Baby Friendly (Information, research and videos) - unicef.org.uk/babyfriendly
• NHS Inform - Ready Steady Baby! (Information and advice) - nhsinform.scot/ready-steady-baby
• Breastfeed Grampian Support Group - facebook.com/groups/BFGrampian
• Birth in Grampian Website birthingrampian.scot.nhs.uk/infant-feeding

Breastpump Hire

• Medela - medela.co.uk 0161 776 0400
• Ardo Breast Pumps - ardobreastpumps.co.uk 01823 336 362

NHS Grampian is not responsible for the content of external websites and their inclusion does not represent an endorsement.

Feedback

Feedback is essential to help us ensure that the information and support offered by NHS Grampian supports you to meet your personal feeding goals. You can let us know your experiences of using our services by contacting our Feedback Service.

If you have used our breastfeeding peer support service and wish to provide feedback please complete this online form.