Help and advice

The first thing you need to be aware of when deciding whether to breastfeed your new born baby is that you are not alone.

As a new or expecting parent in Hull there are lots of people out there who can support you and offer help or advice. Your first port of call should always be your midwife, health visitor or GP, all are clinically trained to deal with any problems, concerns or worries you might have about pregnancy.

However, Hull also has local peer supporters and a volunteer doula service, both of whom are there are to support new parents in Hull.

Local peer supporters are women who breastfed themselves for a minimum of two months. They have completed a training course and workbooks, have level one child protection and are CRB checked.

The peer supporters integrate themselves into the current antenatal and postnatal support services for pregnant and new mums, offering community support groups, a telephone help line, information and support through the children's centres and at the Women's and Children's Hospital.

Any mums wanting telephone support should ring the helpline on 07980731013, which is open 8am-10pm daily.

The doulas are often referred to as birth partners, but in effect they are much more than that. The word 'Doula' has come to mean 'a trained and experienced partner who accompanies a woman through pregnancy and childbirth and for the first few weeks of family life'.

A doula offers no clinical skills and does not perform any medical tasks. Her sole function is to give continuous emotional and physical support and to facilitate communication between you as the mum, your partner and other professionals.

If you are interested in becoming a peer supporter or finding our more information, please get in touch with Caroline Wiggins, Breastfeeding Peer Support Coordinator at Little Stars Children’s Centre on (01482) 790277.

You can contact the Doula service by telephoning 01482 497811 or by writing to: The Fenchurch Street Children's Centre, Fenchurch Street, HULL, HU5 1JF