Family charity to continue role

CIVIC EVENT: The Mayor of Wakefield, Coun Kevin Barker, attended Families and Babies launch event.

Breastfeeding peer support is mother-to-mother support given by specially trained women who have breastfed their own children.

Rachel Wilson, branch manager, said: “We are now in our ninth year of providing breastfeeding support to families and are pleased that it is to continue. Our peer support will be offered during the ante-natal period and beyond. Families can access support on the hospital wards, by telephone and in the community. We have a new daily drop-in for breastfeeding support at the FAB base in Wakefield City centre, Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm, and are excited about our new online forum where mums can access support and chat with one another. FAB also offers accredited training to volunteers who want to help other mothers enjoy their breastfeeding journey by providing additional support in a variety of ways.”

The group celebrated the launch of the new service recently at their FAB base on Upper Brook Street in Wakefield. Many local families joined in to toast their success as did the Mayor and Mayoress of Wakefield, Kevin and Kirsty Barker.

Elaine Edwards, chairwoman of trustees, said: “We are extremely proud to be able to continue to provide timely and accessible support to pregnant women, breastfeeding mums and their partners or supporters through a variety of ways as families have told us how valuable peer support can be alongside health professionals.”

Coun Pat Garbutt, cabinet member for adults and health, said “We know that breastfeeding helps to protect babies against infection and illness and lowers the risk of cancer in mothers. We want to support mums who choose to breastfeed in any way that we can; the breastfeeding promotion and peer support service helps connect mums with other mums who have been there and can make a real difference to confidence with breastfeeding.”

Families and Babies was set up to provide true mother-to-mother breastfeeding peer support to all antenatal and breastfeeding mothers.

FAB has been providing this support for more than 13 years in many locations across the country.