Woolly breasts for mums-to-be
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
A hospital seeking cheap alternatives to costly fake breasts is knitting its own.

The woolly boobs are used to teach expectant mothers at Liverpool Women's Hospital how to breastfeed and express milk by hand. The hospital has so far produced 16 breasts in a variety of skin tones and nipple shades.


These knitted breasts are a cheap and effective way for midwives and community midwives to give a precise demonstration.

They are roughly the same size, having been stuffed with old tights or soft toy filler.

The hospital's infant feeding coordinator Kate McFadden has knitted several, and also asked her mother to pitch in.

Others were knitted by community groups, including the official friends of the hospital association.

Ms McFadden said: 'You can buy model breasts, but they cost around £35 each, which is quite prohibitive, as we need about 50.

'So we got the pattern from the Lactation Consultants' Association, and asked any knitters we knew if they could help.