BREASTFEEDING can be a wonderful bonding experience between mother and baby, but some women give up because they find it hard and they have no one to talk to.

Little Angels, a breastfeeding support service, is working to break the taboos that surround breastfeeding by getting women to talk openly about their experiences as well as giving advice and useful techniques.

The service, which originally started in the UK in 2004, launched in Basildon, Wickford and Billericay in July, to support, promote and protect breastfeeding in the community.

The team of 23 women, who are from the surrounding area, work in the maternity unit at Basildon Hospital.

The women, who are not healthcare professionals, but are mothers themselves who can give advice from experience, conduct one-to-one visits once women are discharged, run a 24-hour helpline and work closely with local children’s centres and voluntary breastfeeding support groups.

They work in the community in conjunction with NHS South West Essex health professionals, voluntary groups and the children’s centre. They also work alongside health services to provide additional support to midwifery care practices.

Tina Carter, manager of Essex Little Angels, said: “I think there is a stigma for women who are having trouble breastfeeding, but I would say around 80 per cent of women have some trouble – even for those who are having their second child.

“The list of benefits for breastfeeding are endless, it is cost-effective, stops obesity in children, gives babies the anti-bodies they need and for mums it helps with fast weightloss and osteoporosis.

“The first point of contact with mums is the hospital, where we speak to them within hours of arriving, then offer community visits after discharge and the 24-hour helpline.

“We would like to visit antenatal groups to speak to women there and we are also hoping to go into schools and help awareness for teenage mums.

“Little Angels advocates and strongly supports exclusive breastfeeding for six months and supports the continuation of breastfeeding for as long as mother and baby are happy.”

Lisette Harris, specialist midwife for infant feeding at Basildon Hospital, said: “It’s great for us to have this support and we make staff aware that there is this service and we bring them in to speak to mums about breastfeeding.

“If there are any medical questions we take over, but it means that no women will be missed.”

Call the Little Angels 24-hour helpline on 01268 526099 or visit www.littleangels.org.uk for more information.

They were there for me at difficult time

Sarah Nye gave birth to her son Sidney on July 30 at Basildon Hospital. She and her partner Chris Wolff have benefited from the support of Little Angels.

Sarah, 31, said: “I didn’t know anything about Little Angels before I went into hospital. They came to see me after I had given birth to Sidney.

“I had had a complicated birth and Sidney was taken to intensive care as he was having seizures.

“Because he was being tube fed I had to express milk. I had heard of doing that, but I hadn’t thought I would need to do it. Little Angels helped me through it.”

Sarah received continual help throughout the ten days Sidney was in intensive care.

“They came to see me twice a day and not just about breast feeding and expressing milk, but also to see how I was doing and if I needed some company,” says Sarah, who lives in Basildon.

“They don’t just help physically, they also help women emotionally.” Sarah and Sidney were discharged from hospital on Monday, August 11, and are settling into a good breastfeeding routine.

“Sidney is breastfeeding fine and now we are home I can call Little Angels at any time I need support,” says Sarah.

“People sometimes believe breastfeeding is easy, and the baby just latches on, but it is actually quite technical and Little Angels give tips and advice as well as lots of different techniques so women don’t give up and bottle feed.

“I can understand how a mother could feel upset when they have trouble breastfeeding because you want that bond with the baby. I felt like that when I couldn’t hold Sidney straight away and now I feel that bond through breastfeeding.”

Sarah now plans to continue breastfeeding Sidney for the foreseeable future.

“I will breastfeed for at least the six months and I can’t see myself using the bottle because it is going so well.”