Volunteer Breastfeeding Buddies Program - A First for Health Unit

Breastfeeding is the healthy, natural way to feed your baby. If offers protection for infants against respiratory diseases, ear infections, urinary tract infections, allergies, eczema, gastrointestinal infections and diabetes.

In June of 1999, the Health Unit initiated the Breastfeeding Buddies Program. This program utilizes volunteers to enhance support to breastfeeding mothers and facilitates an increase in the breastfeeding knowledge and skills of parents.

It is the first program in the Health Unit to use volunteers to enhance public health service to the public. The program offers telephone support and encouragement to breastfeeding mothers through the use of trained volunteers who have access to public health nursing consultation.

The program was piloted in the Brockville/Gananoque area with 9 volunteers in Brockville and 3 volunteers in Gananoque. This resulted in 13 volunteer-to-breastfeeding mother matches.