Hywel Dda Health Charities on items bought for over 100 midwives across the Hywel Dda area

Thanks to donations, Hywel Dda Health Charities has been able to provide bags containing teaching equipment on infant feeding to over 100 midwives across Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire.

Each bag contains a doll and knitted breast, so that the midwives can give advice to new mums and mums-to-be on breast-feeding, along with laminated cards with information.

All the community midwives across the three counties, plus the maternity units at Glangwili, Bronglais and Withybush hospitals have received the bags.

Hywel Dda’s Infant Feeding Co-ordinator, Christena Phelan O’Riordan (pictured in the foreground with Health Care Support Worker Jan Jones), said the dolls and knitted breasts were proving to be extremely useful as teaching aids.

“It has made such a difference having these visual aids to give pregnant and post-natal mothers advice on breast-feeding,” she said.

“Whether face-to-face in hospital or at home, or virtually through WhatsApp calls, these aids are great props for when we are teaching about breast-feeding.”

Nicola Llewelyn, Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, the official charity of Hywel Dda University Health Board, said: “Donations are making a real difference to the lives of patients, service-users and staff in the Hywel Dda University Health Board area.

“We are very grateful for all the support we receive from our local communities.”

For more details about the charity and how you can help support local NHS patients and staff, go to www.hywelddahealthcharities.org.uk.