Woollen breasts designed to help new mothers (From The Argus)

Woollen breasts designed to help new mothers

10:00am Thursday 15th January 2009 in

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WHEN it comes to knitting most people would settle for a pair of gloves, socks or possibly a jumper.

But Audrey Horncastle prefers to spend her time on something a little more exotic.

For more than three years the industrious 84-year-old has churned out more than 100 knitted breasts.

The woolly boobs are then squeezed into shape by daughter Rhona Emery and handed out to midwives and community nurses to help teach mothers to breast feed.

Mrs Horncastle, 84, from Woodingdean, said: "My daughter told me they were looking for these and so I decided to give them a go.

"I made a few and they seemed to like them. They keep on asking for more and so I keep making them.

"It only takes a few days to do one and then I pass it on to my daughter. It's a bit of fun. I enjoy the knitting and they are being put to good use.

"People give me a strange look when I tell them what I am knitting and it is unusual but they are fun to do."

Rhona, who works as a community nursery nurse for South Downs Health, said:"I went to a breast feeding training course and was told about how these things are useful but that they were difficult to get because the pattern is hard to do.

"My mum is good at knitting so I gave her the pattern and she was able to do it. It has just built up from there."

Mrs Horncastle, who usually produces one breast a day, said she even gets occasional requests for multi-coloured mammaries made up from tourquiose, pink, blue and yellow wool.

She added: "I try to keep the basic fleshy tone but sometimes people ask if I can put in a bit of colour as well just to make things a bit different.

"I tend to use what ever bits of wool I have at the time.”

The 84-year-old, who is only paid for the cost of materials, said as long as there’s demand she will carry on knitting.

Angela Barnett, who is responsible for providing breastfeeding support to mothers in Brighton and Hove, said: "When you want to show a woman how to breastfeed you don't really want to go poking and prodding them.

"You can take these with you when you are visiting people's homes or at clinics or on a ward and they make it much easier to demonstrate what we are talking about.

"We are delighted that Mrs Horncastle and Rhona are able to do this for us and they make such a difference."

The knitted breasts are used by Brighton and Hove Children’s and Young People’s Trust as part of its drive to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding and encourage more mothers to try it.