Sonja Holloway & Klara

After Klara was born, it took a while to get the latch right.” I was stressed and worried. Along with my wonderful family, I had such great support from the local community and an organisation called upon the Islington Breastfeeding Network. They came to our home, listened to my concerns, gave me information, shared techniques and were supportive for many weeks afterwards until I was completely satisfied and confident. Without them I would not be where I am today and Klara would not have thrived - I breastfed for 8 months in the end and I feel that gave her the best start in life! This inspired me to start the course to become a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter. It runs over 4 months and will qualify me to help inner city Mums by giving them information and most importantly, listen to their concerns and support through counselling. With the qualification I will be able to work in local community centers and hospitals as a volunteer. In just a few weeks I have learnt so much about breastfeeding, psychology and the societal issues that lead to the low breastfeeding rate in western countries . Klara is a huge part of the project - without her I wouldn’t have been inspired and every time I nursed her in public, it was a sign to others that it was okay to breastfeed and nourish a baby in the most natural way possible. I am proud to set the right example for my daughter, to help struggling Mums in the future and give Klara a taste of her first TOY cap project."