Breastfeeding Support Groups
Breastfeeding support groups are great places to make new friends and share the ups and downs of looking after a new baby. Breastfeeding groups are supported by Koala Bosom Buddy Volunteers.
All of our support groups are held at Children’s Centres. No Health Visitor referral is required, but please call your local children’s centre to book your place. Siblings are also welcome at the group.
Victoria Road Children's Centre (Northwich)
Breastfeeding support group on Wednesdays between 10.00am and 11:30am.
To book your place, please call 01606 555286.
Wharton Children's Centre (Winsford)
Breastfeeding support group on Wednesdays between 1.00pm and 2:30pm.
To book your place, please call 01606 555285.
Stanlaw Abbey Children's Centre (Ellesmere Port)
Breastfeeding support group on Mondays between 10.00am and 11.30am.
To book your place, please call 0151 488 8036.
Blacon Children's Centre (Chester)
Breastfeeding support group on Thursdays between 1.00pm and 2.30pm.
To book your place, please call 01244 397412.
Frodsham Children's Centre (Frodsham/Rural)
Breastfeeding support group on Tuesdays between 1.00pm and 2.30pm.
To book your place, please call 01606 555287.
Neston Community Youth Centre (Neston)
Breastfeeding support group on Wednesdays between 11.00am - 12.30pm.
To book your place, please call 0151 488 8036.
Lache Children's Centre (Lache)
Breastfeeding support group on Fridays between 10.00am - 11.30am (term time only).
To book your place, please call 01244 397486.
Koala Bosom Buddies are volunteers who have breastfed their own children and have received additional training in breastfeeding. They provide mother-to-mother breastfeeding support with non-judgemental and evidence-based information for both pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers, supporting them to reach their breastfeeding goals. They also:
- Provide breastfeeding information during infant feeding workshops
- Provide support and encouragement to breastfeeding mothers
- Normalise breastfeeding in the local community through local events
- Help run mother and baby breastfeeding groups
- Provide support on the maternity wards as hospital volunteers
- Breastfeeding peer supporters are trained to support healthy breastfeeding mothers with healthy term infants (specific breastfeeding problems will always be referred to a health professional and/or breastfeeding specialist)
For more information, please visit Koala Bosom Buddies Breastfeeding Support
Bosom Buddies CWP Facebook Group
Breastfeeding Friendly Chester Facebook Group
National Childbirth Trust Chester Facebook Group
La Leche League Chester Facebook Group
If you are struggling with breastfeeding please contact your Health Visitor who will carry out a feeding assessment and observation of feeding and work with you to provide a plan of support You can also reach out to a number of helplines, and read more information on their websites. All information is included in the tabs below.
National Breastfeeding Helpline
Telephone: 0300 100 0212
The National Breastfeeding Helpline offers independent, confidential, mother-centred, non-judgmental breastfeeding support and information. The line is open from 9:30am to 9:30pm every day of the year. Online chat support is also available via their website. All calls are answered by highly trained volunteers, who are also mums who have breastfed.
Association of Breastfeeding Mothers
Telephone: 0300 330 5453
Calls to the NBH are answered by trained ABM Breastfeeding Counsellors and BfN Breastfeeding Supporters in their own homes. Calls to the ABM helpline are answered only by trained ABM Breastfeeding Counsellors. You will be connected to the first available volunteer. They will not necessarily be in the same area as you and may not have local knowledge but will be able to support you in your breastfeeding journey.
Telephone: 0345 120 2918
National Childbirth Trust (NCT)
Telephone: 0300 330 0700
For practical and emotional support in all areas of pregnancy, birth and early parenthood including help with feeding.
Start4life Infant Feeding Support
Start4life offers information to the many benefits and advantages of breastfeeding – not only for your baby, but for you too. Visit their website for more information.
All day, every day, you'll have access to:
-
NHS trusted advice – based on questions asked by thousands of new mums
-
a wide range of breastfeeding topics, guides and FAQs – available every day, 24⁄7
You can also find out more information surrounding vitamins for mums and babies.
Baby Buddy is the multi-award winning free app that guides you through pregnancy, birth, parenting and beyond. You can explore the web version of Baby Buddy or download the full version of the app for free on the App Store and Google Play.
In this video, we look at the importance of developing close and loving relationships with babies in their early days and weeks.
Responding to babies’ needs for comfort and food is hugely beneficial for brain development and makes for more confident toddlers. Parents should be supported in breastfeeding responsively and keeping their babies close to help them become happy, healthy and secure children and adults.
Useful links and references:
This video looks at both the theory and practice of relationship building and responsive breastfeeding, supporting families to get their relationship with their baby off to the best start.
Hear mothers and professionals give tips and advice on what it can mean to have a close and loving relationship with your new baby.
Useful links and references:
unicef - The Baby Friendly Initiative
Building a Happy Baby - pdf
Off To The Best Start - pdf
Caring For Your Baby at Night - pdf
Skin-to-skin contact is usually referred to as the practice where a baby is dried and laid directly on the mother’s bare chest after birth, both of them covered in a warm blanket and left for at least an hour or until after the first feed. Skin-to-skin contact can also take place any time a baby needs comforting or calming and can help boost a mother’s milk supply. Skin-to-skin contact is vital in neonatal units where it is often known as ‘kangaroo care’. Here it helps parents bond with their baby and supports better physical and developmental outcomes for the baby.
Why is skin-to-skin contact important?
There is a growing body of evidence that skin-to-skin contact after the birth helps babies and their mothers.
The practice:
- calms and relaxes both mother and baby
- regulates the baby’s heart rate and breathing, helping them to better adapt to life outside the womb
- stimulates digestion and an interest in feeding
- regulates temperature
- enables colonisation of the baby’s skin with the mother’s friendly bacteria, thus providing protection against infection
- stimulates the release of hormones to support breastfeeding and mothering.
Skin-to-skin contact also provides benefits for babies in the neonatal unit, in that it:
- improves oxygen saturation
- reduces cortisol (stress) levels, particularly following painful procedures
- encourages pre-feeding behaviour
- assists with growth
- may reduce hospital stay
- improves milk volume if the mother expresses following a period of skin-to-skin contact, with the expressed milk containing the most up-to-date antibodies.
Read more about skin-to-skin contact via unicef link below.
Useful links and references:
Breastfeeding and returning to work
If you're returning to work, education, or training after having a baby, you might wonder whether you can continue breastfeeding your baby.
The answer is yes, it's completely possible and many women do it.
Let your employer know you're breastfeeding
Tell your employer that you're breastfeeding early to give them enough time to put any special measures in place for you to be able to express and store your milk and have somewhere private and protected time to do this. If you have a HR department, they can help you plan for your return.
For advice and tips on breastfeeding in work visit Start for Life website using the link below.
Useful links:
Breastfeeding and Returning to Work - Start for Life
UNICEF Breastfeeding in the Workplace - pdf
Association Of Breastfeeding Mothers - ABM
Team baby: getting ready to breastfeed. FREE online course for parents looking at the decision to breastfeed, how breastfeeding works, how new-born’s behave, what challenges can arise and where to get help.
Parent infant feeding support; From Tongue tie to low milk supply. UNICEF also have a video guide of how to hand express and when hand expression might be useful.
Maximising breastmilk and re-lactation guidance
Following the publication of the UUK BFI statement on infant feeding during the Covid-19 outbreak, UNICEF have now produced a quick reference guide for health professionals on supporting mothers to maximise the amount of breastmilk they are able to give or to re-lactate if they have stopped breastfeeding and wish to re-start. If you wish to maximise breastmilk or want to re-lactate, call the Duty Desk numbers below to be referred to the 0-19 Starting Well infant feeding leads.
Blacon Children’s Centre: 01244 397412
Stanlaw Abbey Children’s Centre: 0151 488 8036
Wharton Children’s Centre - 01606 555 286
If you have any breastfeeding questions, the Breastfeeding Friend app (BFF) from Start4Life has lots of useful information and expert advice to share with you. The BFF app is available on Alexa and Google Home and Assistant.
Whether you're experiencing breastfeeding difficulties, you've got sore nipples, or you want to know about vitamins and what you should include in your diet; if it's a breastfeeding related question, the Breastfeeding Friend is ready to help you.
All day, every day, you’ll have access to:
- NHS trusted advice – based on questions asked by thousands of new mums
- Daily breastfeeding tips – on things like comforting your newborn, feeding frequency, and what to do if your baby cries during feeds
Google Home and Assistant
How to get started
Via smart speaker (Google Home):
1: SETUP – Set up Google Home using the Google Home on Android or iOS
2: SEARCH – Just say "Hey Google, talk to Breastfeeding Friend"
3: TALK – Ask Breastfeeding Friend a specific question, for example "Hey Google, is my baby getting enough milk?", or just let Breastfeeding Friend talk to you about useful breastfeeding topics
Via Mobile (Google Assistant):
1: SETUP – Install and set up the Google Assistant app for Android or iOS
2: SEARCH – In the Google Assistant app – say "Hey Google, talk to Breastfeeding Friend"
3: TALK – Ask Breastfeeding Friend a specific question, for example "Hey Google, is my baby attaching well?", or just let Breastfeeding Friend talk to you about useful breastfeeding topics
Just ask
"Hey Google, ask Breastfeeding Friend for a quick tip"
"Hey Google, ask Breastfeeding Friend for the feeding guide"
"Hey Google, ask Breastfeeding Friend for some advice"
"Hey Google, ask Breastfeeding Friend to log a feed"
"Hey Google, ask Breastfeeding Friend how do I breastfeed?"
Visit: Breastfeeding Friend From Start For Life - NHS
Alexa
How to get started
1: SEARCH - Open the Alexa App on your smartphone, tap ‘skills’ in the menu and search for Breastfeeding Friend
2: ENABLE - Tap ‘enable’
3: TALK - Just say, "Alexa, open Breastfeeding Friend" to open the skill. Use the menu or ask Alexa a direct question, for example "Alexa, is my baby getting enough milk?"
Just ask
“Alexa, ask Breastfeeding Friend to give me some advice”
“Alexa, ask Breastfeeding Friend to give me a quick tip”
“Alexa, ask Breastfeeding Friend, how do I breastfeed?”