"It’s all about peer support ", says Sharon Wilkinson, Public Health Nurse and Co-odinator of the program. "We want new mothers to decide to breastfeed and continue to do so, and having another mom to talk to can make all the difference." The idea for this program was hatched in 1995. The original workgroup involved staff from the South Riverdale Community Health Centre, East York and City Of Toronto Public Health, Toronto East General Hospital, Visiting Order of Nurses, St. Elizabeth, and other community agencies and volunteers. Since the first orientation session in May, 1996, 55 volunteers have been through an orientation, 30 volunteers are currently active and 125 new moms have been linked with a breastfeeding partner. Each of the new mothers is assigned a volunteer who calls her on a regular basis to give support. The mothers are usually introduced to their volunteers before their babies are born so they know there is someone they can call as soon as they begin breastfeeding, but the link can happen after the birth as well. "It’s all about peer support." If the new mothers have any difficulties, the volunteer gives them information on how to contact a public health or community health nurse. "A lot of the moms say if they hadn’t had someone to talk to, they might have given up breastfeeding," says Sharon Wilkinson. Susan Kutertan was one of the first women to go through the program. She heard about it in her Prenatal Class one month before her due date. "It made such a difference knowing that my partner was there to talk to. I was really concerned about my baby burping but I didn’t feel like I could go to my doctor’s office and sit and wait for an hour and a half to talk about such a small thing. So I called my partner and she helped me through it." Like many others, Susan went from receiving the service to becoming a volunteer herself. "I got so much from my relationship with my partner, that I felt I wanted to give some of that back. I was a little scared because I really hadn’t had too hard a time with breastfeeding and I wondered if I would really be able to help others. But during the orientation session, I knew more than ever that this was what I wanted to do." "I learn so much from each woman I talk to." When her daughter was six months old, Susan had her first partner. That was just over a year ago and she’s had five more since. "I learn so much from each woman I talk to. I know that the most important part is just being there, being another mom with similar questions and needs. And each partnership is different. Some I talk to several times a day and others just need an occasional check in." Susan Kutertan perhaps best reflects the success of this program when she says, "When I have my next child, I’ll sign up again to have a partner. Every baby is different and I know I’ll need someone to share my experiences with." Related Web Links:
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