Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor Online Training Program
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The mother-child relationship is the foundation of human growth and we have to do all we can to support it. Dr Nan Jolly (Medical doctor, LLLSA Leader, Lactation consultant, former LLLI Board Member) said that breastfeeding is the child’s first foundational relationship and forms a template for all future relationships.
Marian Tompson (founding member of La Leche League International) said that “breastfeeding is more than just putting the baby to the breast and letting nature take its course”. Mothers and families need support – both to get started and to sustain breastfeeding. A combination of peer and professional support is what helps mothers reach their breastfeeding goals.
An ONLINE year-long Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor Training Program, presented by LLLSA, covers the basic tools for Breastfeeding Peer Counsellors to provide lactation support to pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in their own communities, and protect and promote breastfeeding.
The course has been compiled by using the 2020 Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative training course for maternity staff as a basis, and adding material from various Peer Counsellor training courses available, which included LLLNZ, WABA, Malaysia, Well Start, WIC and material supplied by Dilshaad Sungay (retired LLLSA Leader and breastfeeding peer counsellor trainer).
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The course consists of 10 PARTs (30 hours of recordings), including homework, a “practical preview” and 10 live Q&As plus access to a Communication Skills Development Course.
Participants receive a link to a “PART” recording and handout every month. They need to watch the recordings in their own time and then complete an online Google form with questions (asked during the recording). Each part is a 2-3 hour long recording. Participants also complete a clinical practice (of which they receive more info after PART 4) where they implement their counselling skills and provide feedback on their experience talking with a pregnant and or breastfeeding mother.
Dates for the live Q&As are shared at the beginning of each year. Live Q&As are on a Friday morning, once a month. Participation and interaction are crucial to enhance the learning process and live Q&As will not be recorded so participants can speak freely.
As mentioned the course includes a Communications Skills Development Course. Since this is a Peer Counsellor course, effective communication is an essential part of training. Giving advice is really us telling someone what we would do if we were them, but we aren’t them; we have no control over another person – that’s their job. Counselling on the other hand, is the process of helping people to help themselves. Counselling offers a safe and confidential environment for people to be heard and feel valued, free from prejudice. Counselling for maternal and newborn health is an interactive process between the Peer Counsellor and a family, during which information is exchanged and support is provided so that the woman and her family can; make decisions; design a plan; put this information into practice specifically to meet their needs so that they can improve their health. The length of this communication skills development course is 6-9 hours.
Please follow this link to watch a recording of the INTRODUCTION session: https://youtu.be/L7UdPljxOLU.
Please email us at leana@lllsa.org or leana.habeck@gmail.com for an updated INTRODUCTION handout.
If you think you can spare about 2 ½ hours per week for the next 10 months then you can do the Peer Counsellor Training!
To register for the Breastfeeding Peer Counsellor Training for 2025, which starts in January, please follow this link https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScurflYnANqV0FSTiysat2hWzmRSqZxK9bYyBBbRpEDY1Qbqw/viewform?usp=sf_link
It takes a village to raise a child and breastfeeding peer supporters are that village in our modern society.
