Would you like to support women in Medway to breastfeed?
Medway Breastfeeding Network is looking for mums who can spare their time and energy to support local mums to breastfeed. You will be a good listener, sympathetic and able to give simple information to support mums’ choices.
What does a Peer Supporter do?
- Help make breastfeeding a normal, enjoyable everyday experience
- Listen to women’s breastfeeding experiences
- Help reassure mums to feel more confident
- Provide accurate and up to date information
- Work alongside health professionals
Who can volunteer?
Peer Supporters are local mums who have breastfed at least one child for 6 months. You will take part in an accredited training programme, receive on-going development and supervision.
The training offers the opportunity to:
- Improve your listening and communication skills
- Explore personal breastfeeding experiences and values
- Increase knowledge of how breastfeeding works
- Use the knowledge and skills gained to support women through their breastfeeding experience
- Make friends with other like-minded mums
‘’I really love visiting the post natal wards and meeting the new mums and babies. It’s a great feeling supporting mums and seeing first hand how it works.’’
‘’If I help a mum to feed even for just one more day, then I have done my job properly, coz its another day that baby wouldn’t have had breastmilk without me!’’
‘’ having a mum struggling, helping her and seeing her confidence rise as she sucessfully manages to feed her little one is a wonderful feeling. Seeing the network expand and become more recongnised in Medway and knowing that I am a small part of that is fantastic :)’’
Where do Peer Supporters volunteer?
Volunteers speak to women and their families in a wide variety of settings including:
- Breastfeeding Drop-ins
- Children’s Centre sessions
- Child Health Clinics
- Hospital postnatal ward
- Telephone
- Antenatal sessions
Becoming a Peer Supporter – what’s the commitment?
Training will be for 2 hours a week for 11 weeks with continuing supervision sessions once a month after that. Once trained you can volunteer with your children, at hours that suit you.
