World Breastfeeding Week is an annual global campaign that aims to raise awareness about the benefits of breastfeeding for both infants and parents.
Our Cabinet Member for Health and Communities Councillor Dawn Abbott said:
“Breastfeeding has lots of benefits for mums and babies.
“We’re sharing information about the help and services available in Derbyshire to enable parents to feel supported, however they chose to feed their child.”
Breastfeeding can help to reduce your baby's risk of:
- infections
- diarrhoea and vomiting
- sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
- cardiovascular disease in adulthood
Breastfeeding and making breast milk also has health benefits for you. The more you breastfeed, the greater the benefits.
Breastfeeding lowers your risk of:
- some types of breast cancer
- ovarian cancer
- osteoporosis (weak bones)
- cardiovascular disease
Councillor Abbott added:
“We also want to make sure that there are lots of places that provide a comfortable, safe space to encourage more people to feel confident in feeding in public.
“That’s why we run the Breastfeeding Welcome Here Awards.”
Benefits of signing up to the scheme for businesses include:
- attracting families by making them feel welcome, therefore staying longer and spending more
- improved customer service
- the potential to attract new customers by providing a welcoming environment where mothers feel comfortable breastfeeding their babies
The scheme is free to join, and businesses or organisations can sign up by filling in a simple accreditation checklist.
Venues that take part in the award will receive a 'Breastfeeding Welcome Here' certificate and sticker to display on their premises. Find more information or sign up to the scheme.
Find out more about the support on offer around breastfeeding.