It's Breastfeeding Awareness Week
13 June, 2011
St. Stephen’s Shopping Centre, Mothercare and the Hull University’s Student Union will be playing host to a number of activities in support of Breastfeeding Awareness Week from 20 – 26 June. Health Visitors from City Health Care Partnership CIC (CHCP) will be joining forces with colleagues from Hull & East Yorkshire Hospitals Trust and The Goodwin Doula Project to offer advice and information, as well as promoting the long term health benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby.
CHCP Health Visitors will at St Stephen’s on Tuesday and Wednesday from 9.30am to 4.30pm, and Hull University Student Union on Monday from 9.30am to 3pm. They will also be joined at the Hull branch of Mothercare throughout the week by Midwives, Doulas and Breastfeeding Peer Supporters from 10am – 3pm. To round up the week, staff from CHCP and NHS East Riding will be manning the Health Bus at the Humber Bridge half marathon on Sunday 26th June, giving out free breastfeeding advice and information.
“Breastfeeding in Hull isn’t as popular as we’d like it to be, in fact, we have some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in Yorkshire. We want to dispel a few of the myths, and to raise the confidence of more young mothers to breastfeed their new baby”, explainedDebbie Jackson, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator, City Health Care Partnership CIC.
“The health benefits for both mothers and babies are undisputed and we’d like business communities to get involved in supporting new mothers to have a go by providing breastfeeding friendly areas. That’s why we’re also encouraging businesses to take part in the Breastfeeding Friendly Award Scheme. We want to encourage as many premises as possible to enrol on the scheme and to work together to make Hull a much more breastfeeding friendly City.”
For more information on the Breastfeeding Friendly Award Scheme or to apply for recognition visit the ibreastfeed website, http://www.ibreastfeed.co.uk/iBreastfeed/baby-friendly-places.php where you can also find a list of breastfeeding friendly venues around Hull. Alternatively you can ring 01482 617865 for further information.
