Surely such a little inoffensive word couldn’t cause a problem.
Well, not always, but when it’s put into a sentence with ‘breastfeeding’ somehow it slowly starts to question what we do.

“So are you still enjoying breastfeeding?”

“You still breastfeed them whenever they want?”

“You still want them breastfeeding?”

“Are you still breastfeeding?”

Still…
It implies what we are doing shouldn’t be being done, that we are continuing past what’s normal.

What “still” does is make a certain group of women, fantastic mothers who are only doing what’s best for their babies, feel that they can’t be proud of their breastfeeding, or questioned about their choices.

But,

What if things were different?

“Yep I still love breastfeeding- who doesn’t love burning 500 cals a day watching box sets? It’s definitely still the right choice for me”

“Yep, I’m the perfect all you can eat buffet, it still just works brilliantly for us”

“Sometimes I wonder what it would be like if wasn’t still breastfeeding, then I look into those sleepy, milk-drunk eyes and know they’ll come a time when I’ll wish my baby was still little and still in my arms”

“Am I still breastfeeding………..No!!!!!” “I continue to breastfeed”

Because there’s not an upper limit to when breast milk or breastfeeding becomes less beneficial. So natural term breastfeeding isn’t ‘still’ breastfeeding, it’s just breastfeeding.

Sometimes we have to accept that no matter what we do sometimes people still just don’t get it, that’s fine- because the people who do, will still be here whenever you need us 💖

We take care to ensure our c-section wound or stitches are healing, we do physio, we exercise those pelvic floors- after all it’s hayfever season

It’s very easy amongst all that and looking after a newborn to forget about, or not realise the importance of looking after our mental health. You may not be a person who thinks mental self care is something they need to worry about. You may have never thought about it before, but perhaps this Mental Health Awareness Week is the perfect time to have a think about it.
A new baby brings massive changes to your body, your relationship and your lifestlye, so it’s no wonder this can be a time when mums start to feel less emotionally well.
We may perhaps start thinking about what can we actually do to help ourselves?
Have a little look list below, there’s 10 easy ideas for looking after your mental health.
And if things are feeling too much, we’re always here for a chat.
Our ‘Peace of Mind’ group provides a safe space for you to talk and be listened to without any judgement.
It’s always ok not to be ok, and there’s always support here for you
#mentalhealthawareness
#newmum
#itsoknottobeok

We come, we’re helpful (hopefully 😉) but who actually are we? What do we do? Is it worth the visit?

I think the majority of mums who are supported by us, and the majority of Midwives and Health Visitors, we work alongside would agree, that yes we are worth it!!! Because what we do is quite unique 💗

We are Peer Supporters. We are supporting our peers. In our game our peers are other breastfeeding mothers.

At BfT we’re all mums, mums who have breastfed our own babies, with different experiences and different levels of success. But we have a shared passion that all mothers who want or need it should have access to unlimited effective breastfeeding support.

We listen. We understand your worries, concerns and answer the many questions which you have. We support the mum, baby and wider family, we look at the bigger picture. We take the time to make sure you understand, that we provide you with independent evidence based information. Rather than just saying something is fine, we’ll take the time to tell you how we know that, and do it in a way that leaves you feeling reassured and empowered 💗

Alongside our own experiences, we undergo intensive training and all undertake many hours of further mandatory training and continued professional development- usually somewhere that involves a little night away- even BfT mums need a little break sometimes 😊

We eat, sleep and breathe breastfeeding, and although were not medically trained, there’s really not much we don’t know about breastfeeding, breastfeeding problems and solutions, typical new born behaviours or safer sleep. We also know exactly where to signpost you to if we’re not the right people!

We’re very lucky in Wigan that people believe in us and we are always grateful to Wigan Council for always believing in Breastfeeding Peer Support and recognizing the huge benefit we make to families across the Borough!!!

We believe one of the greatest things we have to offer- is our TIME!!! We provide this support because we can, and because we want to. Because we understand exactly how mums and families are feeling, and we have the training, knowledge and experience to be able to support families professionally and effectively.

We’re women on a mission to make sure Wigan has the best possible support for mothers and families by ensuring we are the best we can be 👍

So don’t let ‘a-peer-ances’ be deceptive, BfT is so much more that just mums supporting mums!!!

#believeinus
#peertopeersupport
#BfTfamily

I was always so grateful for the support I got from the Breastfeeding Together team as having friends in different areas and seeing what little breastfeeding support there is outside of Wigan made me realise how lucky we are to have it. Once I was back at work and more settled with work and home, I decided I wanted to train to be a breastfeeding supporter to be able to offer the same support to other families which I had received, as without the support which I received I do not think our breastfeeding journey would have been as successful.

I completed my Level 2 Peer Support Training in July 2018 and I have been actively volunteering since. I have covered the whole range of support provided by Breastfeeding Together volunteers; groups, live chat, maternity ward, antenatal classes & Baby Box. I thoroughly enjoy supporting mums, babies and families with their journey from antenatal to postnatal to inform, empower and support them regarding their feeding choices, ensuring the health and wellbeing of our future generation.

All these changes along with the unpredictability of pregnancy and the challenges of a newborn can leave mums feeling worried, anxious or alone.

Don’t forget you are never alone.

At BfT we provide mother to mother support. Yes, we’ve had some training, but above anything we are mothers supporting other mothers because we remember.

We remember waiting to be induced, worrying and not understanding what was coming next.

We remember not quite feeling the joy when our baby was placed on us.

We remember the fear of our babies being taken to SCBU.

We remember crying, our breasts sore and leaking, wondering if we are good enough.

We remember checking our babies every 30 minutes.

We remember it all.

We want to be there to let you know there is always someone to talk to.

If you are overwhelmed by pregnancy worries – talk to us.

If you need a phone call to reassure you that your baby is feeding ok- phone us.

If you want someone to listen to you, without judgement or agenda – that’s us.

We’ve even got a new group to facilitate just this, with literal tea and empathy because we get it.

We will be your village, your emotional punch bags, your cheerleaders. After all, us mums can’t pour from an empty pot, so let us keep yours full!