“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."

11 top tips for successful breastfeeding

Breastfeeding offers both you and your baby so many health benefits, as well as creating a really strong bond between you.

Breastfed babies are five times less likely to suffer tummy bugs and urine infections, and two times less likely to suffer from ear infections. Mums have a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and will burn up to 500 calories per day.

As part of Breastfeeding Celebration Week, we spoke to mums and breastfeeding support workers to find out their top tips.

“Breastfeeding doesn’t come naturally to all mums. Some of us need a bit more support!”

For Charlotte, 30, memories of breastfeeding her first baby were tinged with sadness. After three weeks struggling to feed her newborn son, she made the difficult decision to stop. It’s something she has always regretted.

But, when she had her second baby, Jacob, last year, she decided to give breastfeeding another go, this time armed with support from her local breastfeeding support group, run by the Trust. 

Now, over a year later, Charlotte is sharing her breastfeeding story, to encourage other mums who are struggling to access the help that’s available.

“The first few weeks were very difficult” Charlotte explains. “Jacob was a ‘sleepy feeder’ and would take up to an hour to feed – and then he’d be hungry again an hour later. Not ideal with having a toddler too. I had very painful nipples. And then developed mastitis as well, which was extremely painful. When the Health Visitor came to visit one day, I was so upset I just burst into tears. I was already struggling – this was the last thing I needed!"

“I never thought I’d be a Mum who went to groups, but I wouldn’t be without my boob group now!”

Hannah, 32, always knew she wanted to breastfeed but, during the first few days of motherhood, it didn’t go quite as she’d hoped.

However, after finding support at her local breastfeeding group, run by the Trust, Hannah is now sharing her story to encourage other mums who are struggling to access the help that’s available.

At a few days old, Hannah’s new son, Isaac, was admitted to hospital with weight loss after struggling to latch on. It was a hard time for new parents Hannah and Simon. “The first few weeks were very difficult” Hannah explains. “I felt guilty for not being able to provide what Issac needed. Feeding was painful. And the struggle affected my relationship with Simon – he wanted to start formula feeding, so we could see how much Isaac was having. But I was determined to succeed at breastfeeding! I wasn’t ready to give up.”

Volunteering: my experience as a Governor

1-12 June is Volunteers’ Week. We have lots of different types of volunteers in our Trust – one which you might not think about is the role of Governor. We asked Natalie Jennings, who is new to the role of staff Governor, about her experience so far.

I put myself forward for the Governor role (nursing) within the Trust, as I am a passionate nurse who is keen to understand how as a workforce decisions are made which involve such a large group of people.

I am an inquisitive person and enthusiastic about being part of the future of nursing, and how we can shape and support our workforce through challenging times. As I am dual qualified with a broad range of nursing experience, I feel I can represent the views of others.

Improving oral health in Zimbabwe

Monica Zendera, a Dental Therapist within the Trust’s Salaried Dental Service, recently travelled to Zimbabwe with Dentaid to provide treatment for local residents. 

The trip had an extra special meaning for Monica though, as she explains here.

I was born and raised in Zimbabwe before I moved to the UK in 2003, when I was 15. I first heard about Dentaid at a dentistry conference. The charity had only visited Zimbabwe once before. As soon as I heard about their second visit, I knew I had to get involved. It was my time to give back and help the people of Zimbabwe. 

I started fundraising and, with the help of friends, family, colleagues and well-wishers, I raised over £2,000 to fund my trip.