Breastfeeding in Plymouth

Breastfeeding in Plymouth is supported by Public Health, the City Council, Children’s Centres, and many local businesses.

In 2003, the first Latch on Breastfeeding Group was launched in Tesco’s Café at Transit Way, by Health Visitor Jan Potter and Sure Start Midwife Sue Cheney. From that small beginning, we now have 12 Latch on groups in the city, which are sited at, or supported by Children’s Centres.
The Children’s centres free ante-natal classes ‘Great expectations’ include a two hour breastfeeding workshop which gives information about the support offered by the Latch on groups and encourages mothers (and partners) to visit.
So what is a Latch on group?
They are run by a health professional who is Band 3 or above, and who has completed the one day Unicef Breastfeeding training (as a minimum). They are supported by volunteers peer supporters who have had a 10 week training course, and who have regular Network meetings where training updates are delivered.
They are primarily social groups for breastfeeding families, for mothers to meet other breastfeeding mothers, and make new friends. They are also a ‘safe place’ to practise breastfeeding in public, – many mothers say that they fed outside the home for the first time at a Latch on group.
The groups also offer nursing bras at a heavily discounted price, and all groups have peer supporters who have had training in bra fitting to ensure a good fit. We stock bras by Bravado and NCT.
We also sell hand breast pumps at a discounted price, and for Breastfeeding week we are offering them for an unbelievable £5!
Although the primary aim of the groups is social, the peer supporters and health professionals offer breastfeeding information and support, and are experts at helping mothers with positioning and attachment, and common breastfeeding issues.
Because we take a multi-agency approach, we have midwives refer mothers to us, and we can refer mothers to more appropriate support if necessary.
We also have good links with the NCT.
Plymouth as a City signed the Breastfeeding Manifesto in 2008.
As a result ALL Plymouth City Council properties such as Museums, Libraries, and Council Offices etc. are Breastfeeding friendly.
We now have Jan Potter as Breastfeeding co-ordinator, and myself as Breastfeeding peer support mentor, to organise and deliver the training of peer supporters, and support breastfeeding in the City.
As well as the groups, we now have peer supporters going into the ante natal, and Transitional care wards of Derriford hospital, helping mothers right from the start, and directing them to their local group on discharge. We have links with the Plymouth and Surrounding areas Home birth group as well.
We have produced with Real Baby Milk a Plymouth Guide to Breastfeeding which is also available to download in Polish and Kurdish. This contains useful breastfeeding information, and details of the Children’s centres, Latch on groups and friendly places to breastfeed in Plymouth. We have also produced several helpful leaflets such as a Grandparents leaflet and a skin to skin one which are available at the groups, Children’s centres and on the website
In association with Real Baby Milk, we launched a kite marking scheme, for breastfeeding friendly businesses which is growing every year. The full list can be found in the Plymouth Guide, and on the Latch on website.
The website is www.plymouthlatch-on.org.uk and it has downloadable versions of our leaflets and guides, a list of friendly places, information about Latch on and Great Expectations, and links to other sources of support.
For Breastfeeding week this year, we are having parties at some of the groups, a Tea party at Monty’s (on the Barbican), and on Saturday 25th June we will have our Latch on city bus parked all day at Frankfort Gate, offering breastfeeding information and support. We will be joined by the Devon Real Nappy project, Kali Slings and ‘Cakes and Faces’ (the last two are businesses run by peer supporters).
We have a breastfeeding quiz which will run all week in the groups and Children’s Centres, and will be available to the general public on the Saturday. We have been donated prizes from local companies, and will draw for these from the correct entries on the 30th June.
We are also going to launch a Business Charter mark through the Healthy Business Scheme so that businesses can sign up to be supportive of their breastfeeding employees and visitors.
We have achieved a great deal already, and are looking to do more to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
If you have any questions or queries please feel free to contact me on Amanda.chapman4@nhs.net
Mandy Chapman, Breastfeeding peer support mentor and student NCT BFC