I welcome the report about breastfeeding in public by the Brighton and Hove City Primary Care Trust.

I ran the "Booby Prize" campaign to promote breastfeeding in public when I worked as campaign manager for NCT (formerly the National Childbirth Trust) in 2006. I asked mothers to tell me about their experiences, both good and bad, of breastfeeding in public.

While there were many positive tales, there were also many horror stories. I heard how breastfeeding mothers had been told to get off buses and trains, thrown out of cafes and shops and asked to move from public spaces, including park benches because staff or security guards thought it inappropriate to breastfeed in public. These experiences were upsetting to both mother and baby.

Therefore, it's hardly surprising that breastfeeding rates in this country are among the lowest in Europe.

We need a national breastfeeding strategy that incorporates public education, greater investment in midwives and health visitors, and more support for voluntary sector organisations that we rely on heavily to help breastfeeding mothers, such as the breast-feed drop-in at Hanover Community Centre near where I live.

Often all mothers need is a positive attitude from people around them, a quiet space, chair and a glass of water. These simple things are easy to provide and will enable breastfeeding mothers to offer their babies nutrients to protect them from a variety of infections and allergies, reducing their risk of diabetes and obesity.

Breastfeeding Awareness Week takes place from May 11 to 17 and I hope that shops, services, cafes and coffee bars across Brighton and Hove will take part.

Tags: breastfeeding, Parents

Posted on April 30, 2008 in Childcare, Health.