Breastfeeding support gets a boost
Soon up to 10 more local nurses will be qualified to provide breastfeeding support and advice to mums. That’s got to be good news during this year’s Breastfeeding Awareness Month, according to the Northern Rivers General Practice Network’s (NRGPN).
The network said the breastfeeding project recently saw the nurses sit the gruelling six-hour lactation consultant exam in Lismore.
“Increasing the number of nurses who have this internationally recognised qualification will be great for mums in the area who may be having problems breastfeeding their baby,” said Caroline Ryan, lactation consultant and child and family health nurse at the Northern Rivers Family Care Centre, which is operated by the NRGPN.
The nurses included two of the early childhood nurses from the Northern Rivers Family Care Centre, as well as seven nurses from Lismore Base Hospital and one nurse from Child and Family Health in Goonellabah.
The nurses undertook three one-day intensive workshops in Lismore. The workshops and associated assessment provided opportunities for them to develop additional knowledge and skills in the area of breastfeeding. For example, they learnt more about infant nutrition and biochemistry, as well as maternal and infant immunity and infectious disease.
The NRGPN will announce the results of the exam in October, when it is confident that the number of nurses qualified as lactation consultants in the region will suddenly have increased by 10.
The Northern Rivers Family Care Centre also runs weekly breastfeeding support clinics to help mothers who are experiencing difficulties establishing and sustaining breastfeeding: Tuesday 9:30am-12:30pm drop in to parents’ room in Lismore Library; Tuesday 1:00pm-4:00pm and Friday 9:00am-4:00pm by appointment at the Family Care Centre, St Vincent’s Hospital.
This NRGPN’s breastfeeding support project is funded by the YWCA Communities for Children initiative under the Commonwealth’s Stronger Families and Communities Strategy.
