Emma Pickett breastfeeding support
  • Home
  • Free support in Haringey
  • Contact
  • Private consultations in North London
  • Video consultations
  • A walk in the woods
  • Videos
  • Links
  • Twitter and blog
  • Training
  • Ending breastfeeding

A word on breastfeeding out and about...

11/15/2011

2 Comments

 
In one of my voluntary roles, I am sometimes asked by national and local media to comment on breastfeeding issues. Today I was asked to comment on whether businesses on Kent should offer more breastfeeding facilities to new parents. In the past year, I have spoken on London radio about breastfeeding in public and been asked to give several comments to newspapers.  Breastfeeding in public  is an issue that never seems to go away. Largely because of the ignorance of businesses and services who have yet to update their employees on the ways mothers and babies are protected to breastfeed in public by law. It must be a constant embarrassment for well-know High Street names to have to apologise for the stupidity of people working in their branches up and down the country. But it continues to be necessary.

Mothers and Babies are not allowed to be discriminated against on the grounds of breastfeeding. Their access to businesses and services is not allowed to be restricted. It's not complicated. It really isn't.

The vast majority of the British public don't wrinkle an eyebrow when a baby is breastfed out of the home. But it's the small minority who grab the headlines and give new mothers the wrong impression they will face discrimination. In my 7 years of breastfeeding, I have fed all around the world - on planes ,trains, mountain-sides, cafes, doorsteps, bus stops - and not ONCE have I ever received a negative comment or glance or been asked to stop. The response has either been warm and supportive or indifferent.

Some mums find breastfeeding in public uncomfortable whether or not they might have to deal with an unfriendly comment. They may be struggling with latch and positioning, be feeding an older wriggly child, or feel self-conscious about any glimpses of their post-partum body they might flash to others. For these mums, the offer of a feeding room can make all the difference. It's really not hard for a business to provide one simple room with the right kind of chair and a door. It doesn't need fancy Winnie the Pooh murals or even nappy changing facilities (toilets work for that). A small cafe or business almost always has an office with a chair somewhere even if a separate room cannot be created. We don't mind a bit of stock sitting in the corner of the room and we don't need it fancy. Just clean and the space to sit down. All businesses need is a warm smile and a bit of imagination and THEY will benefit.

To put it simply, mothers have money to spend. We are a powerful consumer force. The Guardian reported this week that the average family spend £5,213 during the baby's first 12 months. This is a vulnerable time for the British High Street. With a tiny bit of effort - the purchase of a couple of Ikea chairs and a bit of paint - that £5,213 is there for the taking. If retailers fail to use a bit of imagination, fail to educate their workforce about the legal rights of mothers and babies, THEY will lose out. Because online shopping with a cup of tea, bit of daytime telly and baby snoozing nearby is an attractive proposition. The postman brings the parcel and noone has to faff around looking for somewhere comfortable to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding rates continue to rise. If UK retailers and businesses don't understand how to harness this powerful consumer market, they will be the ones to suffer.



Picture
My book is available now from Amazon.co.uk and from other retailers.

"You may be worried about breastfeeding and worried that it might ‘not work’. This is a common feeling when you live in a society where breastfeeding is often sabotaged by incorrect information, patchy support from a stretched health service and powerful messages from formula companies. But it’s not a feeling that is entirely logical. We are mammals. We get our name from the dangly milk-producing bits. It defines us. 

This book aims to make you as well-prepared as possible. I would like you to breastfeed for as long as you want to and as happily as possible. I want you to feel supported. 

Some of this new life with baby will be about flexibility, responsiveness and acceptance. If you are used to a world of schedules and decisions and goals, it may be a bit of a shock. Learn about human biology before you think it sounds a bit too scary! Babies are the products of millions of years of evolution, and we are too; if we can just tap into our instincts and trust them a little bit. 

Success comes when we tap into those instincts and when we know when to get help when our instincts aren’t answering all of our questions. 

Can everyone who wants to breastfeed make it work? No. Not everyone may be able to exclusively breastfeed due to medical issues. Most of these people can give their baby breastmilk, though, which the book also covers. (And let’s not start this journey by imagining you’ll be someone who won’t make it...!)"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B019JE5E44

2 Comments

    Author:
    Emma Pickett IBCLC

    Find me on twitter: @makesmilk

    Find me on pinterest: 
    https://www.pinterest.com/makesmilk/youve-got-it-in-you-a-positive-guide-to-breastfeed/

    A Lactation Consultant supporting families in North London.

    Categories

    All
    A Message For GPs: When A Breastfeeding Mother Walks Through Your Door...
    Announcing...The Breast Book
    Babywearing
    Body Confidence And Breastfeeding
    Breastfeeding After 12 Months And Dental Decay
    Breastfeeding In Public
    Breastfeeding Is Just Like Golf! A Tiny Adjustment Makes All The Difference.
    Breastfeeding Through Pregnancy And Beyond
    Breast Language: 'Breastfeeding' Is Incredibly Unhelpful
    Colic Oversuppy And Reflux
    Come On England!
    Do Minutes Matter?
    Flat Nipples
    Friends In Your Pocket: A Few Words About Online Breastfeeding Support
    Grannies Matter
    How To Train As A Breastfeeding Counsellor
    I Don't Think I'm A Nazi
    I Know It Can Be Scary.
    Is THIS Normal? The First Week With A Breastfeeding Newborn
    It's Not Rocket Science. It's Biology.
    Lactation Cookies
    Latching: Like Trying To Put A Sock On A Snake
    Low Milk Supply 101
    Newborn Breast Refusal: When Baldy Doesn't Want Your Tit
    Newborn Breast Refusal: Why Didn't My Baby Get The Memo?
    Positions For Breastfeeding 101
    Shared Parental Leave: The Boobs Don't Come Off.
    Sometimes Responsive Feeding Looks Like This...
    #StayAtHome Breastfeeding
    Thank You For Breastfeeding In Public
    The Breastfeeding Dad
    The Dangerous Game Of The Feeding Interval Obsession
    The First Time You Breastfeed
    Toddler Breastfeeding In Lockdown
    Toddler Twiddling
    Weaning Toddler Bob And Pre-schooler Billie: How Do You Stop Breastfeeding An Older Child?
    When You're Pregnant There Are More Useful Things To Do Than Flipping Through A Catalogue.

    Archives

    July 2022
    February 2022
    June 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    September 2019
    July 2019
    April 2019
    October 2018
    September 2018
    June 2018
    April 2018
    February 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    January 2017
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    February 2016
    September 2015
    July 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    May 2014
    February 2014
    July 2013
    March 2013
    January 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    June 2012
    April 2012
    February 2012
    December 2011
    November 2011

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly