Healthy Wednesday advice from the Hywel Dda Health Board
Healthy Wednesday advice from the Hywel Dda Health Board -
This Healthy Wednesday we are reminding mums about our breastfeeding buddies.
World Breastfeeding Week starts tomorrow and aims to draw attention to the importance of Peer Support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding.
At all our maternity units in Hywel Dda Health Board we have volunteer breastfeeding buddies to help new mums.
All of the volunteers on the ‘buddy’ scheme are mums themselves and the scheme is particularly designed for new mothers so the volunteers can share their experiences and offer reassuring support.
Rachel Allan, from Freshwater East, benefited from peer support when she had her baby Jack.
She said: ”I had a great deal of support to help me breastfeed from the arrival of my first baby Jack.
“When in hospital the volunteer came to offer advice, just when I happened to be feeding.
“She was really encouraging and in order to explain fully about latching on she used a knitted woolly boob! She also told me about the breastfeeding support group.”
Breastfeeding helps to mature a baby’s gut, avoid infection, reduces the risk of necrotising enterocolitis and encourages neurological development.
Evidence shows that non-breast fed babies are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital for gastroenteritis and are more likely to be overweight or obese.
It is also more likely that they will go on to suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, eczema, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) as adults.
Breastfeeding women also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, postnatal depression and weak bones in later life.
Rhian Walters, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator for Hywel Dda Health Board, said: “We recognise that while breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world it is not always the easiest thing when you first start but there is lots of support out there for mums and by persevering you are giving your baby the best start in life.”
World Breastfeeding Week starts tomorrow and aims to draw attention to the importance of Peer Support in helping mothers to establish and sustain breastfeeding.
At all our maternity units in Hywel Dda Health Board we have volunteer breastfeeding buddies to help new mums.
All of the volunteers on the ‘buddy’ scheme are mums themselves and the scheme is particularly designed for new mothers so the volunteers can share their experiences and offer reassuring support.
Rachel Allan, from Freshwater East, benefited from peer support when she had her baby Jack.
She said: ”I had a great deal of support to help me breastfeed from the arrival of my first baby Jack.
“When in hospital the volunteer came to offer advice, just when I happened to be feeding.
“She was really encouraging and in order to explain fully about latching on she used a knitted woolly boob! She also told me about the breastfeeding support group.”
Breastfeeding helps to mature a baby’s gut, avoid infection, reduces the risk of necrotising enterocolitis and encourages neurological development.
Evidence shows that non-breast fed babies are five times more likely to be admitted to hospital for gastroenteritis and are more likely to be overweight or obese.
It is also more likely that they will go on to suffer from high blood pressure, high cholesterol, eczema, diabetes and cardiovascular disease (CVD) as adults.
Breastfeeding women also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancer, postnatal depression and weak bones in later life.
Rhian Walters, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator for Hywel Dda Health Board, said: “We recognise that while breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world it is not always the easiest thing when you first start but there is lots of support out there for mums and by persevering you are giving your baby the best start in life.”
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