Homepage | Ayrshire and Arran Peer Support

Accessing local support services can make all the difference to your feeding journey.

Find free breastfeeding support, and connect with other parents in Ayrshire and Arran

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About us

NCT Ayrshire & Arran Peer Support offers friendly, non-judgmental, free, infant feeding support, for parents during pregnancy through to the early stages of parenthood, run by parents who understand the challenges it can bring.

We work in partnership with NHS Ayrshire and Arran and the health and social care partnerships to provide infant feeding peer support across Ayrshire and Arran.

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Antenatal Support

Our antenatal infant feeding sessions provide an opportunity for expectant parents to come together. Chat through how you’re feeling about feeding your baby in a welcoming and judgement free space. You’ll get to meet our friendly Peer Supporters and hear evidence based information to help get feeding off to a good start and where you can find support in those early days with your baby.

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Postnatal Support

The NCT in Ayrshire forms part of the Integrated Infant Feeding Service. The integrated team combines the support and knowledge from maternity services, health visiting and peer support. In Ayrshire all mothers who are giving breast milk have access to one-to-one peer support for 6-8 weeks. All families can also access infant feeding support from the Maternity and Community Infant Feeding Teams.

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Who's who

Here are some of the types of support available across the county

Peer support

Trained and accredited by individual organisations (sometimes college accredited). Peers are mothers who have (usually) breastfed themselves, and wish to support others.

Also known as Peer Counsellor, Mother Supporter, Helper, Breastfeeding Buddy etc.

Breastfeeding Counsellor (BFC)

Trained and accredited by individual organisations (sometimes university accredited). BFCs are mothers with lived experience of breastfeeding. They have extensive in-depth counselling skills and infant feeding knowledge having studied for an average of 2 years. Breastfeeding Counsellors can support parents with complex infant feeding issues.

Also known as Breastfeeding Supporter (BfN), Breastfeeding Leader (LLL).

International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

IBCLC is the only internationally recognised professional breastfeeding qualification. IBCLCs are usually health professionals and accredited BFCs who have undertaken advanced lactation education and have extensive clinical experience.

Sometimes shortened to Lactation Consultant.

NHS Infant Feeding Advisor

Employed by the NHS to provide infant feeding support in the community, usually within the health visiting team. Infant feeding advisors are all trained to support mothers with feeding. They have done extra training through UNICEF and have a passion for infant feeding. Some have undertaken further training and all are supported by the Infant feeding lead.