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Audience: Health care personnel and technical staff of PVOs/NGOs

Purpose: Prepare participants to train health care providers and/or community-based volunteers to organize and facilitate mother-to-mother support groups on infant feeding.

Content:

Technical

Skills

Advantages of breastfeeding Initiation of breastfeeding Exclusive breastfeeding The Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) Complementary feeding at 6 - 8 months, 9 - 11 months, and 1 - 2 years Reflection on the local health situation related to infant feeding Breastmilk production Attachment and positioning Common difficulties of breastfeeding and how to overcome them Breastfeeding myths The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative Breastfeeding in special situations Characteristics of support groups and their facilitators Selection of facilitators Organization and management of support groups

Facilitation of mother-to-mother support groups, which includes creating a comfortable environment; listening, caring and respecting group participants; asking and directing questions; exploring participants' answers; and helping everyone to participate

Methodology: The training approach is one of practical application of skills. Each training session contains a review of the previous session, participatory learning of new information, practice of facilitation skills, group dynamics in a mother-to-mother support group, and discussion of the support group. Small group exercises, demonstration of proper attachment and positioning, food demonstrations for children over 6 months, peer observation, and development of training plans are part of the training methodology.

Structure: The 48-page module is divided into 28 sessions covered over 5 days. During the 2nd week, 4 days are spent in the health facility or community with the new trainers replicating the course with mothers who will facilitate mother-to-mother support groups. On the 10th day, the trainers share their training plans with fellow participants. The facility site and/or community site locations and mothers who will serve as group facilitators need to be selected prior to the training.

Materials and tools: Twenty-eight handouts are included: pre/post test; session content summaries; observation checklists; questions for small group exercises; illustrations on attachment, breastfeeding and fertility, and the LAM criteria; LAM case studies; and course evaluation.

Time: 10 days
Languages: English, Spanish and Chinese
Country applications: Ghana and Bolivia
Date Developed: Updated January 2003