Monday 28 February 2011

I've Got A New Hat

Well I’ve finally had my breastfeeding peer support worker induction and have found out just how careful I have to be and how restricted I am about what information I can give out. Basically I am not allowed to mention North Yorkshire County Council unless I’m at one of their centres or sessions i.e. a Baby Café. This is to make sure myself, my family and any families I come into contact with are not put at any risk, which is a good thing. So therefore anything I say on here or anywhere else online will be my personal opinion but with the knowledge that I have had some additional training.

I’m really looking forward to be able to help as many mums as possible with breastfeeding either at the children’s centres or anywhere else. It just means that if I’m not at a NYCC session then I will have my “well informed mum” hat on rather than my “NYCC Peer Support Volunteer” hat on. Maybe this is a loophole in the system but if it means I can help more mums then great – that’s what I want to be able to do but I also want to do it safely without putting anyone in a risky situation.

I’m currently doing the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers’ Mother’s Support Module and so should be able to work under that hat easier and hopefully next year I will start the AMB’s Breastfeeding Counsellor training. This will take 2 years but hopefully this will mean I won’t be as restricted about how I can help other mums to breastfeed & in some cases stop breastfeeding because I’m certainly not against any mum that chooses not to breastfeed. I just want to give mums informed choices and support in their decisions.

So if you need any help with breastfeeding then please remember I’m a well informed mum unless you see me at Sherburn In Elmet Children’s Centre or Selby Breastfeeding Café. Both of which are great places to get support.