>Mary Kay Smith wrote,
>>we have started a breastfeeding support group at one of the family
>>practice clinics, only meets monthly, but from the core group, we've
>>got 3 very dedicated moms who are now being trained as peer
>>counselors.
>I'm puzzled. Can somebody explain why these support groups and peer
>counselors are necessary, when LLL is doing this? I am really concerned
>about the possibilities of misinformation and lack of accountability
>that could arise. Is it that there is no LLL Group in your community?
>That LLL is not doing something you feel would be beneficial to moms?
>Wouldn't resources be better directed towards enabling LLL to do more in
>the community? Those mothers sound like potential Leaders to me.
>Jo-Anne


But peer supporters are very different from LLL, and from the other
volunteer groups, at least they are in the UK (where LLL leaders are
vastly outnumbered by counsellors from other groups, anyway. Last I
heard there were about 80 LLL leaders in the whole of the UK. There
are none I know of within about 70 miles of me, for instance, North,
South,  East or West).

Speaking for NCT,  which is the organisation I know about, and the
UK, which is where I am,  it takes about 2-3 years (sometimes more)
to train a breastfeeding counsellor.  We counsel one to one, in the
main, although some of us also run groups. The peer counsellor
schemes train women in about 10 or a dozen sessions, to an adequate
level to offer friendship and support, and a minimal 'first do no
harm' sort of technical level.  Peer counsellors are not expected to
stay active more than say, two years (many of them go on to do other
training and education in fact).  An NCT counsellor would be expected
to go on for five or more years and lots (like me!) go on for a lot
longer than this. There is almost a career structure (!) in that you
can become a tutor (like me) , and also a trainer of HPs. You have to
keep up your knowledge and practice with in-service studying, and you
have to show yiu have insight into your practice.

Peer supporters are, in the main, from a different socio-economic
group compared to NCT bfcs. They may reach their own neighbours and
friends in a way that NCT finds more difficult. They do  not have to
do the reading and writing and studying an NCT bfc does.

If it takes me 12 tutor years to train 5 NCT bfcs, I could train
about 50 peer supporters in that time!  They offer a different sort
of service to mothers, and as long as they are supervised and
supported, and accountable, as they should be, and know what they
*don't* know as well as what they *do* know, where's the problem?

Heather Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

             ***********************************************
The LACTNET mailing list is powered by L-Soft's renowned
LISTSERV(R) list management software together with L-Soft's LSMTP(TM)
mailer for lightning fast mail delivery. For more information, go to:
http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html