Hospital Volunteers Help New Moms Learn to Breastfeed

New mothers at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Norfolk, England, are getting a lifeline during one of their most vulnerable moments thanks to a team of breastfeeding support volunteers.

The volunteers step in when moms are exhausted, emotional, and struggling to nurse their newborns. "The moms are emotional, they're tired, they've possibly had a long labor or a complicated recovery, and that's where we can step in to really help support that," says Jen Rudd, volunteer support coordinator.

Each volunteer completes training through the Association of Breastfeeding Mothers, a U.K. charity dedicated to helping families succeed with nursing. They work directly with mothers on the hospital's Brancaster Ward, offering tips and reassurance during a time that can feel isolating and overwhelming.

Elizabeth Judge, 33, is one of those volunteers. She knows firsthand how difficult breastfeeding can be because she struggled with her first child. "I was really stressed, because I was just looking at my baby, and I thought, 'Why won't you just feed? What am I doing wrong?'" she recalls.

Judge went on to successfully breastfeed her second and third children, now ages six and three. That experience taught her something valuable: sometimes new moms just need time and gentle encouragement.

Now she gives other mothers exactly what she needed years ago. "I can give them all the time that they want, and I think that does really help, to just say to them that it's okay, it will be okay," Judge says.

Sunny's Take

Breastfeeding challenges are surprisingly common. Sore nipples, infections, blocked milk ducts, and other physical issues can make nursing painful or impossible without proper support. But medical staff are often stretched thin, leaving new mothers feeling alone with their struggles.

That's what makes this volunteer program so powerful. These aren't medical professionals rushing between patients. They're experienced moms who can sit with a struggling mother for as long as she needs, offering the patience and reassurance that can make all the difference.

Judge's motivation is simple but profound: she's turning her own difficult experience into comfort for others. Every mom she helps is receiving the support she once wished for herself.

The program shows how peer support can fill crucial gaps in healthcare, especially during those early postpartum days when everything feels overwhelming and nothing seems to work. Sometimes the most healing words are the simplest: "It's okay. It will be okay."