Hertfordshire Businesses urged to show support for breastfeeding women
The County Council's highlighting the scheme to businesses
Businesses across Hertfordshire are being encouraged to show their support for breastfeeding women.
Hertfordshire County Council's Breastfeeding Friendly scheme is designed to help women feel more confident and comfortable in breastfeeding when in public spaces.
A sticker in the window helps mums to know they're welcome there.
The council are encouraging businesses to back their scheme and help create a more confident environment where mums can go and know they will be welcomed.
Lydia Simons is a mum of two in Hertfordshire, who believes the scheme would benefit many women in the county who are breastfeeding.
She said: "I think it's really important for local businesses to support the breastfeeding scheme because it would just inspire confidence for mums who just aren't sure about it.
"I've had a fairly easy journey, I know of people who haven't, and I know that going somewhere or having somewhere outside of the home where they will feel safe, they'll have staff or someone who can help them if they need it."
"I just think it's really important to boost our numbers."
Lydia believes a large part of the number of women breastfeeding who may feel they're facing barriers could be discouraged by the lack of places where it feels safe to breastfeed, and lack of access to these safe spaces.
Hertfordshire County Council have acknowledged that breastfeeding is a very personal experience and can increase vulnerability in new mums looking to breastfeed outside the home.
The Breastfeeding Friendly scheme is looking to eradicate these anxieties that can meet breastfeeding women who are looking to breastfeed in public.
Aideen Dunne is a Consultant in Public Health at Hertfordshire County Council. She said:
"There's two sides of the coin surrounding businesses supporting breastfeeding.
"It's businesses supporting breastfeeding in terms of their customers, and that their customers are welcome and they're displaying signage around 'you're welcome to breastfeed here'.
"Where possible, they can provide a clean, private space for someone to breastfeed.
"But also thinking about businesses as employers and that they support their employees in coming back to work.
"That's particularly relevant when we think about living in the cost of living crisis, where some families might be forced to come back from maternity or paternity leave sooner than they would have liked."
Aideen also reiterated the importance of businesses supporting breastfeeding customers as it helps support the mental health of those leaving the home and going to community settings to breastfeed, as well as ensuring social mobility.
More information on Hertfordshire County Council's Breastfeeding Scheme can be found here.