 News
8th February 2007
Maternity unit knits breasts to help mums
A maternity hospital has begun knitting its own breasts as an economical
alternative to using more expensive ones.
Liverpool Women's Hospital is using the woolly mammaries
to show new mothers how to breastfeed and, if necessary, express milk.
Kate McFadden, the hospital's infant feeding co-ordinator,
and her mother have already knitted several breasts in different flesh
tones.
Artificial breasts are used by midwives to demonstrate how
mothers can express milk, especially if their baby is premature and in
hospital.
Speaking to the BBC news, Ms McFadden said, "We have a regional
neo-natal unit and we encourage new mothers to express milk to help the
small and sick babies.
"When we first put an e-mail appeal out to everyone in the
trust, there were a fair few messages being sent back.
"But they are vital to us and are a low-cost, simple teaching
tool.
"You can buy model breasts, but they cost around £35 each,
which is quite prohibitive, as we need about 50."
The knitting pattern was provided by the Lactation Consultants'
Association and, although several knitters are helping to make them the
hospital need more volunteers.
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