6 Top Breastfeeding Resources in West Sussex

 

Having breastfed two babies I understand the challenges that new mums face with feeding. It seems like the most natural thing in the world. It should be easy right. Trust me it’s not! My first was severely tongue tied. Unlike some tongue ties that are hard to diagnose, the moment he was born and he first cried out it was obvious from his little frog shaped tongue that could barely extend out his mouth. This of course set us lots of challenges. But even after it was surgically cut, not once but 4 times, it took approximately 8 weeks for me and him to get it completely right so that the pain went away for good. But once we did it was amazing. I can’t explain that bond that I felt – it was worth the perseverance. But I couldn’t have done it without the breastfeeding support in West Sussex.

Fast forward to my second son and I figured this time I’d got this. I had become a pro the last time. But you see it’s about both baby and mum. You both need to learn and connect together, so even without any tongue tie problems it took us 6 weeks before we were properly settled. I didn’t have continuous pain, but every few days I’d get a little reminder than I wasn’t quite ready to become complacent with my latch.

Now that’s not to say it’s difficult for every lady. Some mums do breeze through it from day one and hats off to them. But the chances are if you are reading this, it’s because you too are having some struggles. Well done for reaching out. You’ve got this!

I’ve complied a list of my top 6 breast feeding support resources in West Sussex which are great places to reach out for help.

 

1) La Leche League International 

This is really a one stop stop for every question you may have about breastfeeding. Here you’ll get a complete A-Z  of information on breastfeeding. There is nothing this website doesn’t cover.

 

2) Association of Breastfeeding Mothers

You can find a wealth of support on this website. Covering a wide range of topics such as expressing breastmilk, Is this normal? breastfeeding and medication, restarting breast feeding after a gap, and much more.  You can find local groups that you can visit in person (the centres may be temporarily closed during the Coronavirus pandemic). Plus in order to support ladies whilst drop in’s are closed due to Covid19, they even offer free online classes whilst social distancing is in place which you can book here.

 

3) Facebook groups

There are a couple of great Facebook groups dedicated to breastfeeding by way of online communities.

• Breastfeeding Multiples is a group to support multiple birth mums in the UK with breastfeeding twins and triplets. I haven’t had access to the group since I am not a mum of multiples, but it comes highly recommend from a lactation consultant.
• La Leche Leage Facebook Support Group is an online community for individuals seeking to engage with others. Here you can get emotional support and insights from other ladies going through the same experiences.

 

4) Telephone Support

• National Breastfeeding Helpline – 0300 100 0212. This helpline is funded by Public Health England and you can speak to a volunteer 09.30am-10.30pm.
• MILK Parent infant Feeding Line is the Sussex Community Breastfeeding NHS Support- 01273 242 015

 

5) The Nest, Crawley, West Sussex

Run by Alexis Ozmen who is a qualified breastfeeding counsellor offering consistent, kind, evidence based support in your home. She has years of experience and comes highly recommended by many of my newborn photography clients.

 

6) Feeding First

Tongue-tie (also known as ankyloglossia) is a common condition were a thin membrane under the tongue, joins the tongue to the floor of the mouth more than it should do. Some babies can still feed without problems if they have a tongue tie. Others can’t. Feeding First is a specialist tongue tie clinic which is actually based in Sutton, Surrey, but I’ve included in my list  as the practitioners here are particularly skilled at diagnosing as well as treating any tongue tie issues your baby may have.

I wish you the best of luck with your breastfeeding journey. It is truly amazing when it goes well.

Let us know your experiences in the comments below.

 

Lisa
Cosy Toes Photography