Recognition for Local Breastfeeding Support
13 February, 2012
City Health Care Partnership (CHCP) CIC, in conjunction with NHS Hull, Goodwin Development Trust and Hull Children’s Centres, has recently achieved stage two of the UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Award. The award provides a framework for the implementation of best practice with the aim of ensuring all parents make an informed decision about feeding their babies and are supported in their chosen feeding method.
Over the last three years the majority of staff with direct contact with pregnant mothers have received training to enable them to deliver high standards of care in relation to infant feeding and to support mothers to breastfeed for as long as they have chosen to.
CHCP CIC has been working collaboratively with other agencies across the City including children’s centres, the doula service and peer support service to ensure consistent and accurate information is given to the families in our care.
UNICEF recently interviewed and audited staff knowledge about breastfeeding issues, “We achieved exceptionally high scores demonstrating that training has been extremely effective and are now delighted to be progressing towards stage 3 of the award. This has been an accumulation of three years of work but we pride ourselves on ensuring that all our staff have the relevant skills to promote, protect and support breastfeeding mothers as we are aware of the huge benefits that it brings.” Explained Debbie Jackson, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator at City Health Care Partnership CIC.
Breastfeeding has a fundamental positive impact on the short, medium and long term health of children and also has an important and lasting impact on women’s health. Breastfeeding reduces the incidence of obesity, diabetes, ear and stomach infections for the baby and reduces the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer and thinning of the bones for mothers. These are some of the reasons why we want to ensure that parents receive information on the benefits of breastfeeding so that they can make a fully informed choice about their chosen feeding method which is given in a factual and non biased way.
City Health Care Partnership CIC has also introduced the Breastfeeding Friendly Premises Award which encourages premises to support mothers to breastfeed. It involves some staff training to raise awareness about supporting mothers, and having a breastfeeding policy so that all customers know that the premises are welcoming to breastfeeding mothers.
Successful businesses are listed on the ibreastfeed website, containing useful information for pregnant mothers, their partners and families, www.ibreastfeed.co.uk. They are also provided with a Breastfeeding Friendly Premises window sticker and detailed in a booklet given to all breastfeeding mothers.
If your business is interested in applying for Breastfeeding Friendly Premises status you can download a form from www.ibreastfeed.co.uk or through Debbie Jackson, Infant Feeding Co-ordinator at City Health Care Partnership CIC on 617865.
