The need for mothers to have access to ongoing support should not be underestimated. Even when breastfeeding is going well, many mothers will have queries and doubts, particularly if they do not come from a family or area where breastfeeding is common. All mothers should leave hospital knowing how to contact a health professional should they need to. There should also be other avenues that mothers can follow locally to obtain support such as that provided by peer supporters, voluntary counsellors and breastfeeding support groups.
In addition, access to out of hours support such as that provided by the National Breastfeeding Helpline (0300 100 0212) which gives mothers chance to speak to trained breastfeeding counsellors between 9.30am and 9.30pm every day. Staff should ensure that mothers have access to information about all of these sources of support
