Better Barnet sign up to the Breastfeeding Welcome scheme!
We are happy to announce that all five of our Better leisure centres in Barnet have signed up to Barnet Borough’s Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme! This scheme helps mothers find welcoming places to breastfeed when they are out and about in the borough.
Under the Equality Act 2010 mothers have the legal right to breastfeed anywhere. However, negative attitudes towards breastfeeding in public can sometimes make this difficult for mums. In the UK, despite more than three-quarters of new mothers starting by breastfeeding, fewer than half of all babies are still receiving breastmilk by the time they are six weeks old.
This is concerning as breastfeeding is recognised as one of the most important interventions in improving a child’s health. Experts including the World Health Organization strongly recommend that babies be fed exclusively on breastmilk for at least their first six months of life. With this, there is a reduced risk of gastrointestinal, ear, and respiratory infections, as well as protection against obesity, diabetes, and sudden infant death syndrome.
There are also many health benefits for mothers: reducing the rate of postnatal depression, minimising the risk of developing breast and ovarian cancer, enhancing bone mineral density in later life, and making it an easier return to pre-pregnancy weight. Therefore, it is extremely important that everyone has a positive attitude towards mothers breastfeeding in public spaces.
At Better Barnet, the aims of our Breastfeeding Welcome Barnet scheme will be to help mums find places where they are welcomed and supported in their decision to breastfeed when they are out and about in the borough. Our approach will try to encourage mums to feel comfortable and confident to breastfeed in our centres and in turn contribute to increasing breastfeeding rates in the community, consequently improving the health and well-being of all mothers and children.
For more information,
Petrit Krasniqi (Community Sport’s Officer)