Topic Tuesday – A-peer-ances can be deceptive.

First published on www.facebook.com/breastfeedingtogether as part of the Topic Tuesday series.

You’ve had your baby you’re home, midwife’s been and your phone rings!!

📞📞“Hi, it’s Sarah* ( *We have more Sarah’s than any other name So seems likely!😂) from Breastfeeding Together, the breastfeeding peer support service in Wigan. We’re due to come out and visit you at home tomorrow, is that ok?” You agree, after all no one ever really wants less support when it comes to breastfeeding!

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

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