Nottingham mothers are invited to share their questions and experiences of breastfeeding on a new Facebook group launched by community health service provider Nottingham CityCare Partnership.
Designed to support parents and promote available services, the ‘CityCare Baby Feeding’ page went live last week and is already gaining interest from mothers across the city.
The woman behind the group, breastfeeding specialist for CityCare, Pippa Atkinson, said: “There is so much support available for new parents in Nottingham but not a lot of people know what is out there, especially when it comes to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding can be challenging for some mothers and some may need some extra support or just someone to provide them with encouragement.
“The new Facebook group and page will be the perfect platform for mothers to find out about the available services and support networks. More and more people look for information online so it makes sense to have our breastfeeding information readily available to people.”
“The group will be open to all for the launch week but on 27 June we’ll change the setting of the group to make it private. This is to make mums feel like they can talk openly about their experiences and ask questions,” added Pippa.
The new Facebook page received positive feedback from mums in a ‘Baby and Me’ group held at Wollaton Vale Health Centre.
Lorna Bonsall of Wollaton, mother of 16-week-old Nathanial, said: “I think a Facebook group is a really great idea. As a breastfeeding mum I actually spend a lot of time on my phone – when your child is latched on there isn’t much else you can do.
“A Facebook support group where mums that are going through the same thing as you can share their experiences would be really good for those moments when you are awake in the middle of the night. Those moments when you might feel a bit worried or concerned but you know it’s not urgent enough to ring the oncall midwife team.”
New mum, Lucy Hull of Wollaton, added: “The Facebook group could also be useful for pregnant women. When you leave the hospital with your baby as a first-time mum you can get a bit nervous because you’re not sure what to expect and you don’t know where to go to get help if you need it.
“When I first started breastfeeding my daughter, Lily, I struggled to know if what I was doing was right. Because Lily is my first child I didn’t know how it felt when my breast was empty of milk. Being able to ask questions to a Facebook group where you know breastfeeding specialists and other mums can answer you would have been a great confidence booster for me.”
The CityCare ‘Baby Feeding’ Facebook page can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/citycarebabyfeeding/
More information about CityCare breastfeeding services can be found here: http://www.nottinghamcitycare.nhs.uk/find-a-service/services-list/breastfeeding-peer-support-service/
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