City Council joins Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme

Belfast City Council has become the latest organisation to join the Public Health Agency’s Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme, a Northern Ireland-wide programme to increase the number of premises which welcome breastfeeding mums.

Belfast City Hall, along with 35 other council-run buildings, including community and leisure centres, have just signed up to the initiative, bringing the total number of popular local attractions, businesses and council facilities across Northern Ireland to 389.

Lord Mayor Cllr Nichola Mallon said: “While we’ve always welcomed breastfeeding mums at our venues, I’m really pleased that it’s now official and that mums will have that extra reassurance that council facilities are breastfeeding-friendly venues. Times have changed and it’s important that we support mums who choose to breastfeed in any way we can.”

Dr Carolyn Harper, Director of Public Health at the PHA, said: “Breastfeeding Welcome Here aims to increase the social acceptability of breastfeeding in public by supporting mums who want, and need, to feed when out and about.

“Businesses which have signed up to the initiative display a sticker in their premises to let mums know that they are welcome to feed in all areas and will not be asked to stop breastfeeding. Staff are also made aware to be supportive and a certificate showing participation in the scheme is displayed.

“Breastfeeding in public can be a daunting prospect, especially for first-time mums, and through Breastfeeding Welcome Here we, and those organisations signed up to the scheme, are helping mums feel more comfortable doing something which in actual fact should be viewed as perfectly normal. The PHA would like to commend those businesses that are doing their bit to support mums.”

Northern Ireland has the lowest breastfeeding rates in the UK and one of the lowest in Europe. 64% of mothers start breastfeeding compared with 81% in the rest of the UK, but by six weeks of age this reduces to 33% in Northern Ireland, compared with 55% in the rest of the UK.

Dr Harper continued: “Increasing the social acceptability of breastfeeding will help improve these rates. Scientific evidence shows that babies who are breastfed are generally at a lower risk of having infections, allergies, obesity, diabetes and cot death. Women who breastfeed can also have a lower risk of developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer and osteoporosis.”

A list of companies and organisations who participate in the Breastfeeding Welcome Here scheme can be found at www.breastfedbabies.org