Health Professionals
As an expectant or new family, of course your midwife, children’s centre and health visitor can provide information and support around your infant feeding choices.
** UPDATED INFORMATION DURING SOCIAL ISOLATION FOR COVID-19 **
At this time no breastfeeding support groups are running and so local support is provided online in the first instance. There is a Facebook group for Blackpool and Fylde Coast Breastfeeding Support run by a group of local volunteer peer supporters (ABM, LLL and IBCLC), and there is a free Live FB Q&A once a month on a Wednesday evening from Shel Banks IBCLC.
Standard support is listed below and will be re-established when this is possible:
Local Breastfeeding Peer Support
Blackpool currently has no commissioned breastfeeding peer support or specialist infant feeding lead, however there is a collaborative and voluntary LLL / ABM / IBCLC -led drop in breastfeeding support group running at South Shore Primary Care Centre on Lytham Rd FY4 1TJ weekly on a Friday from 10am-12 noon.
The Association of Breastfeeding Mothers / IBCLC-led group runs on the 1st, 3rd (and 5th) Friday.
The La Leche League group runs on the 2nd and 4th Friday, and you can telephone the volunteer group Leader, Loreto, on 07884 441200. They also have a Facebook page.
Online local breastfeeding support
There is a Facebook group for Blackpool and Fylde Coast Breastfeeding Support run by a group of local volunteer peer supporters (ABM, LLL and IBCLC), and there is a free Live FB Q&A once a month on a Wednesday evening from Shel Banks IBCLC.
National Telephone Support
If you are experiencing problems with breastfeeding and would like to chat on the phone, the Department of Health commission a National Breastfeeding Helpline which is open 12 hours per day from 9.30am to 9.30pm and is staffed by group of volunteer trained breastfeeding supporters, in their own homes, on 0300 100 0212
If you don’t get an answer straight away, do try later. Calls to the NBH cost no more than calls to UK number beginning 01 or 02 and are part of any inclusive minutes which might apply to a mobile provider or call package.
Online Information
You can access online information about breastfeeding on the NHS website and access information about medications in breastfeeding on the BfN website.
A full list of Fylde Coast groups from February 2020 is shown below.
