North Somerset Healthy Early Years are on the lookout to recruit more breastfeeding peer support volunteers.
The team is urging mums who have previously breastfed and/or provided breastmilk to their children to train as peer supporters.
These volunteers will run support groups at various North Somerset locations and on private, closed Facebook groups, offering assistance to mothers learning to breastfeed or in need of support.
The groups are facilitated by peer supporters, trained mothers who share their experiences and provide advice to new mums.
The next training course begins on February 21 at Ashcombe Children’s Centre in Weston-super-Mare.
Running over nine weeks, excluding April 3 and 10, the free course runs from 10am until 12.30pm.
Cllr Jenna Ho Marris, North Somerset Council’s executive member for public health, said: "We’re a council which empowers and cares about people.
"We want every child to have the best possible start in life and our Peer Supporters plays a vital role in doing that."
She emphasised the importance of these volunteers: "Breastfeeding has many benefits for both mum and baby.
"By offering reassurance and advice, our Peer Supporters help mums across North Somerset start and breastfeed for longer."
She encouraged others with first-hand experience to volunteer: "North Somerset is lucky to have so many dedicated volunteers but we always need more!
"If you’d like to help other mums please get in touch with us.
"Whether you had difficulties, or it was all plain sailing, your experiences will be valuable in supporting others.
"No previous knowledge is necessary before the training, we just ask that you have the experience of having breastfed your own baby."
One current peer supporter, Gemma Brown, shared how becoming a volunteer helped her own breastfeeding journey with her daughter, Dotty: .
She explained: "It was at group one day I started chatting to the ladies about why they became peer supporters and they all said they wished they’d done it sooner as it really helped them on their own journeys, as well as being able to help others."
For further information about the support available in North Somerset, visit the Better Health North Somerset website.
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