“The support group helped me realise I wasn't alone. And I was doing a good job!”

Nicole, 37, always knew she wanted to breastfeed. Her mum had breastfed her, and Nicole had already done the same with her three sons. 

However, when she had her fourth child, Scarlett, breastfeeding didn’t go quite as well as she expected.

After finding support at her local breastfeeding support group, run by the Trust, Nicole is now sharing her story seven months on, to encourage other mums who are struggling to access the help that’s available.

“The first few weeks were very hard and draining” Nicole explains. “Scarlett had lost a lot of weight and wanted to be fed constantly. My husband and sons helped around the house so I could concentrate on feeding Scarlett, but I was tired and upset, and I felt I was failing her.

“When the Health Visitor came to visit, she referred Scarlett to a pediatrician to check everything was ok. The pediatrician said Scarlett was doing everything she should be doing. She told me breastfed babies should have a different chart in the red book to formula-fed babies as they digest breast milk easier, so feed more often, and some babies may take a little longer before they begin to follow the weight chart."

“Laura, my Breastfeeding Support Worker, also gave me lots of support and advice and told me I should go along to the local breastfeeding support group with Scarlett.  Scarlett was three-weeks-old by now and this felt like the opportunity I had been looking for.  I wanted to get out of the house and meet other mums to talk about my experiences, and to see I was not going through this alone.  I was so happy to see that the group was still going as I used to go with my sons, now 13, 11 and 9, but it did worry me that I might be the only ‘old’ mum there.

“But I needn’t have worried as everyone was so friendly. The support worker checked Scarlett was latching on properly as my left breast had started to hurt.  They helped to ease the pain and gave advice on avoiding mastitis too.  It was great to hear other mums with older babies say that clingy babies, sleepless nights ‘are all normal’ and that things would get better.  Everyone had lots of helpful advice as they had all dealt with different aspects and hurdles of breastfeeding.  

“The group is fantastic and I look forward to going every week.  It’s lovely to see how all the babies have changed over the months and seeing new mums come in makes me remember where I started and some of the problems I had.  I feel I can now offer advice or just a friendly ear to listen.  It has made me realise that I’m not alone and I’m doing a fantastic job of feeding my daughter. 

“I’m still breastfeeding Scarlett seven months on and, with the support from the group, breastfeeding is so much easier. I plan to feed for as long as Scarlett wants to, hopefully eighteen months if she chooses to.

“If you’re struggling to breastfeed, don’t be afraid to talk to your local support group.  There’s always someone who has been in your situation and whatever you’re experiencing, it doesn’t last forever. You think there is no end to feeding your baby, them being clingy and sleepless nights, but I promise it does get better.  It’s a fantastic way to make new friends too - I’ve made lifelong friends from the first group I attended thirteen years ago with my son.”

For more information about breastfeeding support services in Nottinghamshire visit:

www.nottinghamshirehealthcare.nhs.uk/infant-feeding