NEW mums in Worcestershire are being given some extra support with breastfeeding thanks to a team of volunteers.

Last November Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust appealed for volunteers to sign up as ‘breastfeeding friends’, supporting women who are just beginning to feed their new babies.

Since then 44 volunteers, including breastfeeding mothers and aspiring midwives, have undergone training and are at the postnatal wards at Worcestershire Royal Hospital and Redditch’s Alexandra Hospital.

The trust’s infant feeding lead Becky Davenport welcomed the new scheme.

“Having volunteers on the wards provides new mothers with another level of breastfeeding support that compliments midwifery support and advice,” she said.

“They are a welcome addition to on our postnatal wards.”

Health experts have often said breastfeeding is preferable to bottle feeding, reducing the risk of childhood infections, sudden infant death, obesity, diabetes and breast cancer.

In Worcestershire 73 per cent of mothers start breastfeeding straight away, slightly below the national average of 80 per cent, and this drops to 44 per cent after the first six weeks.

Jennie Roehrig, who hopes to begin training as a midwife next year, is one of the new volunteers and said she was “thrilled and very proud” to be part of the scheme.

“Even if I could only help just one mum and her baby with establishing effective feeding, it's more than worth it and can really make a difference,” she said.

“I'm equally happy to be able to support our incredible midwifery team, thanks to the amazing training given by the infant feeding team and their infectious enthusiasm.”