A NEW peer support group to give mums and mums-to-be a chance to share advice and experiences on breastfeeding has been set up in Seaton.

BAPS, Breastfeeding Peer Support Group, launched on Monday at Seaton Library and aims to help parents give their babies the best start in life.

Sessions, which are free to attend, are facilitated by trained breastfeeding mums, including Charlotte Brannie and Yannika Hunter.

Charlotte, 32, of Seaton, said: “It’s nice to have a place that’s child-friendly and the children are of all ages, not just newborns. It’s good for mums to be able to talk to others and get support. Having had the training we can give more advice and, of course, we have our own experience or we can point them to other services.

“As mums we all feel a lot of pressure and it’s important to have this support, we don’t just talk about breastfeeding, we also talk about the different stages of development, it’s a place to come to have a chat and build a network.”

The group is open to anyone who would benefit from peer support. Charlotte added: “This isn’t a pressure situation, if mums aren’t sure about breastfeeding they can come here and have a chat with us.” Yannika, 22, of Workington, said: “I breastfeed an older child and it was nice to meet another mum that does. My mum breastfed seven children so I got that support from her and I thought it would be nice to get trained up.”

Celia Tibble, county councillor for the Seaton ward, attended the launch. She said breastfeeding was important for the bond between mum and babies and it is also a cheap and healthy way of feeding newborns. She added: “It’s also important to say that it’s not a problem if you can’t breastfeed and it can be helpful to get peer support.” The support group takes place every Monday from 1pm to 2pm at Seaton Library.