Guiseley Bosom Buddies is a breastfeeding support group based at Aireborough Children’s Centre, attached to Guiseley Primary School. We meet on Thursdays between 10.30am and 12 noon and welcome breastfeeding mums at any stage of their journey, as well as mums-to-be and older nurslings and siblings. The group was set up in 2015 by Lisa Lyons and is run by a team of peer supporters with a wide range of breastfeeding experience and knowledge between us! We can support you with any issues you are having with breastfeeding, and you are also welcome to come along just for a chat and a cuppa (we always have biscuits!)
Here are some quotes from mums who have attended the group:
“It was really helpful to hear what was normal, and that it would get easier in the early days.”
“It was so helpful to have this local friendly group when I had my third child, to be able to go & feed in a group with like-minded women & a knowledgeable leader was fantastic. One of my best friends now is a lady I met at Bosom Buddies.”
While we help with common issues at various stages of breastfeeding, we find that the first few weeks are often when mums need the most help. Don’t worry, it does get easier! Here are some tips for getting through the early weeks:
Be prepared – do as much research as you can about breastfeeding before the baby arrives. Go to antenatal classes which discuss it, talk to friends or family who has breastfed and read books – ‘The Womanly Art Of Breastfeeding’ and ‘Baby-Led Breastfeeding’ are both great resources. If you can, go along to your local support group when you’re pregnant to talk to mums about what to expect.
Get support – it’s totally normal to find breastfeeding hard at first, but that doesn’t mean you should struggle through alone. Ask your midwife or health visitor about support groups, find out about local breastfeeding counsellors, and keep a note of helplines to call – NCT, La Leche League and National Breastfeeding Helpline offer this service.
Accept offers of help – having a new baby is very time-consuming and tiring regardless of feeding method, but if you have help with regular duties like cooking or laundry that will help you to feel more relaxed about feeding regularly and catching up on sleep in the day. So if someone offers to help out, let them!
Try skin-to-skin – Holding your baby skin-to-skin calms them, regulates their temperature and helps to tap into their feeding instincts. It might feel strange to you at first, but if you find time in the early days to have daily skin-to-skin time it will really help to smooth baby’s transition into the world.
Above all, just remember there is help out there to enable you to meet your own feeding goals so don’t be afraid to ask for it!
