Breast Friend Award winner 2019 is announced
Nicole Schofield has been presented with our Breast Friend Award for 2019, for work that she did to support mothers with breastfeeding when working as a Health and Wellbeing Maternity Assistant for University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust (UHMBT).
South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support’s Breast Friend award is given each year to an NHS Health Professional who has been nominated by a local mum for having made a positive difference to her breastfeeding journey. A mum’s breastfeeding success isn’t just down to whether or not she wants to breastfeed: the support that she gets from those around her makes a huge difference. Our Breast Friend Award highlights the importance of breastfeeding support from Health Professionals and celebrates good practice. It’s a way of saying a big thank you to NHS staff for the work that they do in supporting mums to breastfeed.
Nicole Schofield was nominated by two local mums independently.
In her nomination, Sarah Smith wrote:
‘I attended the breastfeeding workshop at the South Lakes Birth Centre in Barrow. She gave an
informative and practical workshop and gave us lots of useful resources. I also called Nicole with a query and she gave me lots of support and followed up with an email with more resources. I felt empowered and well informed to get breastfeeding off to a good start.’
Holly West, who also nominated Nicole, wrote:
‘I was about to give up after about 10 days and was in a lot of pain when feeding. Nicole gave me the positive chat I needed over the phone to get me through the night, and called in on her way home the next day to give one to one support. She went above and beyond her job to support, and I credit her with now being 14 weeks down the line and successfully still breastfeeding. She’s bubbly, positive, and deserves recognition for her dedication and passion for her role.’
The Breast Friend panel felt that these nominations showed Nicole’s dedication and skill in supporting mums. It was clear that the support she gave to mums has had a lasting legacy. Good information and support is important before and after a baby is born, and the nominations were great examples of the positive impact of this when it works well.
South Cumbria Breastfeeding Support would like to thank Nicole Schofield, and all our local NHS Health Professionals, for the work they do in supporting mums to breastfeed.
Nominations for the 2020 Breast Friend Award are now open. To nominate an NHS Health Professional who has made a significant positive difference to your breastfeeding journey, click here.
Photograph, left to right: Ann Bruce International Board Certified Lactation Consultant; Nicole Schofield; Mel Elliston, Chair, MBHT Maternity Voices Partnership