A NEW guide to give mums help and advice on successful breastfeeding has been launched in Dorchester.

The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding in Dorset enables women to have easy access to information and support.

Produced by not-for-profit organisation Real Baby Milk in partnership with NHS Dorset and Change4Life, the guide will be given to all mums in the county by their midwives when they are about 28 weeks pregnant.

The guide contains lots of useful information about the benefits of breastfeeding to both baby and mum, allowing parents to make an informed choice about infant feeding.

Picture guides show different breastfeeding positions and how to get the baby to feed correctly.

A trouble shooting guide will also advise mums about common physical challenges, feeding under special circumstances, when to introduce other foods and what to do when they return to work. The guide also contains information about where mums can find extra support across the county.

Clinical lead midwife, Linda Walters, said: “Although midwives and doctors will inform you of the real health benefits you and your baby will gain from breastfeeding, we know that it is the influence of your friends or family that actually makes the real difference about the length of time that you continue breastfeeding.

“This is why we do encourage mums to go along to their breastfeeding group. Mums will find out about their local groups in the essential guide or online”.

Health programme advisor with NHS Dorset, Fiona Johnson, said: “It was great to see so many mums and children come along to the launch.

“They are all involved in being volunteer peer supporters across Dorset and we really appreciate all they do in running these groups and supporting others with breastfeeding.

“We are confident that this guide and the Real Baby Milk website will prove popular and give families the information they need about breastfeeding”.

It is estimated that around 3,500 copies of the guide will be distributed over the next year.

• Further information on Real Baby Milk can be found online at http://www.realbabymilk.org Breastfeeding groups are run by mums for mums and are a great place to go for support. Dorset is becoming more breastfeeding friendly and The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding in Dorset lets you know where breastfeeding mums and their families are especially welcome.