Mums get face-to-face help for first time in months as breastfeeding support group reopens doors

Mums in Edinburgh can get face-to-face help with breastfeeding for the first time since March, after a buddies group reopened it’s doors.

Lothian Breastfeeding Buddies drop-ins restart

Relieved mums and families welcomed the restart of Lothian Breastfeeding Buddies, a service that provides vital breastfeeding support and a chance to meet with other parents.

The project by National Childbirth Trust and NHS Lothian trains volunteers who have experience of breastfeeding to help other mums.

This week it became the first of its kind in Scotland to reopen their doors after eight months, after eased restrictions in tier 3 allow for breastfeeding groups to run.

It comes after a government U-turn on mum and baby groups following a national campaign sparked by fears about the impact of contact restrictions on mums’ mental health. Last month the government announced that the maximum number of adults who can attend indoor mother/baby groups and associated organised activities at any one time was being raised to ten, where all children in the group are less than 12 months old.

Breastfeeding Buddies supported over 300 families across Edinburgh through online support sessions including one-to-one chats with trained Breastfeeding Peer Supporters. But mums were missing out on the social connections and group support.

Lynn Harris, a mum from Edinburgh, said: “As a new mum it has been amazing to be able to get out to a support group and to speak to other breastfeeding mums. My baby was born during lockdown and it has been a fairly isolating time. It was lovely to be able to get out of the house and interact with other mums and babies. As well as being welcoming and friendly, it also felt very safe.”

Zoe Brown, Lothian Breastfeeding Buddies Project Manager, said: “There was a real appetite for us to deliver a group face-to-face as soon as guidelines permitted. New parents are really keen to get out and about with their babies born in lockdown.

“We would welcome anyone breastfeeding or considering it to come along to a future session.”

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