Judy says:


>
>Is there any possibility of lactation support in a group setting at the
>hospitals?  I really wonder if group support at set hour(s) each day
>would make a difference?  If moms could see other beginning moms and
>hear the advice from someone making "rounds" perhaps shared instruction
>would be heard differently.


Locally, I have been part of a group setting up something very
similar.  Our hospital, the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle
(5000 births a year, bf rate about 50 per cent) now has an
in-hospital bf support group.

It is being started quite slowly, meeting once a week, so we can
evaluate it. Some mothers will not have the opportunity to go to the
group as most are discharged after 2-3 days or so - but this means
our evaluaters can take two matched groups of new mothers and compare
their bf experience according to whether they had the opportunity to
go to the group or not, and whether they actually did go to the group.

The facilitators at the group are a midwife, and a trained peer
supporter, on a rota.  The group  (and so far there's only been two
sessions) meets for an hour or so, for tea, coffee and biscuits, and
chat about what bf will be like. The mothers are given the numbers of
peer supporters for when they're at home (though this should happen
to all the mothers whether or not they come to the group). They also
have the opportunity to meet other bf mothers in the hospital, of
course.

This is as far as we can tell from the literature never been done
before, or never been done, evaluated and published. If it works -
that is, if mothers bf for  longer and with a higher level of
satisfaction - then it will be a very good-value way of enhancing bf.
I feel very strongly that evaluating is crucial. There is no point in
doing anything unless we know it works.

I was one of the driving forces behind the scheme, as I felt it was a
great way of opportunistically getting bf women together,  and better
than the original plan of having peer supporters go into the hospital
and speak to women individually. This way, the peer supporters can
bring their own bf babies and toddlers  in if they want to  (not
possible going from bed to bed) , and the mothers themselves can get
support from each other.

I'll keep Lacnet posted about our results : )

Heather Welford Neil
NCT bfc Newcastle upon Tyne UK

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