INVERCLYDE mums are coming together to help create a community and help give their babies the very best start in life.

The local infant feeding team who run the support group for breastfeeding mums recently celebrated all the new thriving families with a teddy bears picnic.

Mums and babies enjoyed a special spread of food at the Waterwheel in Port Glasgow where they meet every week.

They can come together with breastfeeding experts to get access to advice, information and peer support.

Gillian Dow and her baby HannahGillian Dow and her baby Hannah (Image: George Munro)

This is making the experience from the start of pregnancy to the weeks and months following birth so much easier on new mums, giving them the chance to bond and also find new friends along the way.

Breast feeding in Inverclyde remains stubbornly low but long standing cultural and practical barriers are being broken down with the increasing levels of support now on offer.

New Greenock mum Gillian Dow, who goes along to the Waterwheel in Port Glasgow with her seven-month-old Hannah, said: "I came along before I had Hannah to the perinatal support group, it gave me the chance to talk to mums, ask questions and get an understanding of what was involved.

"I came to my first group when Hannah was only ten days old and it has helped so much, speaking to mums who were maybe further along the road, and ask questions about trying things a different way.

"Now I can give that kind of support as well and I have so many new friends."

Gillian says that it has helped her make the most of a new experience and get the best out of her time with her baby girl.

Occupational therapist Ciara McIntosh from Kilmacolm comes along with her eight week old Ruairi.

She said: "I have been coming since Ruairi was two weeks old and it has made such a massive difference to me. It is amazing to have this level of support around you.

"I am new to Kilmacolm so it is also a way of making new friends which is so important as well."

Infant feeding co-ordinator Catriona MacLean and her team are finding ways to cut across the many barriers and give mums a choice.

When mums choose to breastfeed, members of the team pay home visits to help and also offer them the chance to come to the support groups.

Catriona said: "We just need to keep getting that message across and during breast feeding week we wanted to celebrate with a teddy bears picnic."

She points out that the facts speak for themselves, that the Inverclyde Infant feeding team is a unique project offering group and one-to-one mentoring.

It is part funded by the Scottish Government and it aims to support mums and families to breastfeed for as long as they wish.

Anyone needing support can call 07773086609 to get in touch with the team.

The infant feeding team run a breastfeeding group at the Waterwheel Port Glasgow every Tuesday 11-12.30 for all ages of breastfed babies.

There is also an antenatal workshop which runs on the first Tuesday of the month from 12 to 1pm.