Midwives' plea for knitted breasts

Midwives in Lincoln are urging anyone with a pair of knitting needles to start work on creating a pair of woolly breasts.

The fuzzy boobs will be used to help young mums-to-be learn how to breastfeed.

Dawn Thomas, community midwife manager for United Lincolnshire Hospitals Trust, is calling for knitting enthusiasts to follow a basic pattern and create artificial breasts, which would be used in feeding demonstrations.

"We want to find the best way for midwife staff to explain breastfeeding to new mums," said Mrs Thomas.

"Breastfeeding co-ordinators have produced dolls and knitted breasts and we've found it to be an excellent way to show young mums what to do – and a much easier way to demonstrate the correct way to go about things.

"If a mother is being shown how to breast feed on her own body, then when she looks down she can't see if the baby is attached properly.

"If someone is sitting showing the mother with a doll and a fake boob, then they can show the action the baby is going to take and the correct way to hold the baby.

"The plastic, artificial ones have almost got a sticky sensation to them, and the realism can be very off-putting.

"The knitted ones are a lot more fun, and a great way to break the ice straight away. You can knit them in a whole range of different colours, to try to make future mums smile."

For more information on how to help, Mrs Thomas call (01522) 512512.