Breast feeding Sir: There is a group of women upon whom 'the methodology of lactation' is not
'sprung . . . in utterly abnormal circum stances'. (Mary Kenny, 'Keeping abreast', 27 March.)
These women attend weekly ante-natal classes in the last two months of pregnancy at which they are given information and literature about breast-feeding, are encouraged to discuss their feelings about it and at which they see babies being breastfed. They are given the telephone number of an experienced nursing mother whom they can contact at any time, day or night, for support after the baby is born. They are invited to group meetings in thqir immediate neighbourhood at which they can meet other expectant and new mothers, as well as experienced ones, and discuss mutual problems informally; there are usually two or three nursing mothers at such gatherings,
often feeding thei(babies at the time.
These women are expectant mothers attending ante-natal classes run by the National Childbirth Trust ; the course includes a special session devoted to breastfeeding at which a trained 'breast-feeding counsellor' gives information and an introduction to this back-up service. The success-rates are high, even allowing for the fact that these will be particularly wellmotivated mothers anyway. Out of nearly 100 women taught in a local branch last year, only thirteen opted to bottle-feed. Although a systematic follow-up has not been carried out, out of nine women in my immediate neighbourhood who had babies last summer, seven are still breast-feeding and two have only recently weaned; they all attended classes and received advice from breast-feeding counsellors.
The Breast-feeding Promotion Group of the National Childbirth Trust (address: 9 Queensborough Terrace, London W2; phone 01-229 9319) is the group most actively and extensively concerned with helping mothers to breast-feed, at a voluntary level, in this country. (La Leche League is well-known internationally but less well-established• on the ground here.) The BPG trains mothers who have successfully breast-fed their own babies to help others. It is perhaps a hopeful sign that applicants to train are mushrooming fantastically; last year there were 389 counsellors and 'friends' (trainees); this year there are 724 with numbers still growing.
(Mrs) L. Maire Davies 55 Warren Road, Chingford, London E4
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