New mums fear they have nowhere to turn

A vital charity support service for breastfeeding mothers has closed after funding was halted.

Breastfeeding Buddies was run by the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) in five hospitals in Greater Glasgow and Lothian.

Local health boards took over funding where previously the Scottish Government did so directly.

It had previously been allocated about £70,000 a year from government spending to pay for a staff team of nine part-time workers and a volunteer pool of 82 specially-trained peer supporters, split between Glasgow and Lothian.

The last services closed on 6 June and pregnant or new mums are being advised to go online for support or contact their midwife or health visitor for help and advice.

The service took pressure off an overstretched NHS with midwives and health visitors not having enough time for breastfeeding support.

Former NCT Glasgow services manager Kirsteen Buckney said: "When we first found out that we weren't getting funded, everybody that I work with was worried about the families we support and not about ourselves losing our jobs.

"Statistics show that 90% of parents stop breastfeeding because they didn't have the support to continue, so without the support there that's not a choice for them anymore.

''It's quite heartbreaking.''

NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde said it understood the concern the service being discontinued may bring and it ''remains committed to supporting breastfeeding women''.

NHS Lothian's director of public health Dona Milne said: "We are aware of recent changes to the funding model from Scottish government and are committed to working alongside partners to ensure that women across Lothian get the support that they need."