Rotherham health bosses agree to work towards “breastfeeding friendly borough” accreditation

The initiative will see Rotherham Council adopt a breastfeeding declaration, which states that breastfeeding parents will be given the freedom within public areas to choose where to breastfeed, and will not be asked to cover up or move to another area when breastfeeding.

This will also include working with leisure centres, restaurants and shopping centres to welcome breastfeeding parents.

Parents will also be offered an appropriate location to breastfeed, not including toilets or restrooms, which “are not appropriate places for feeding babies and will not be offered.”

A workplace policy is also proposed, which will see employers provide an “an enabling environment” for breastfeeding staff, and allowing lactation breaks for the expression of breast milk for at least one year after childbirth.

Councillor David Roche, Rotherham Council’s cabinet member for adult care, housing and public health and chair of the health and wellbeing board, said: “Our ambition to become a breastfeeding friendly borough is to emphasise that any parents who want to breastfeed in Rotherham are welcome to do so without worrying what other people might say.

“This decision is also quite timely as from Monday June 27 to Sunday July 3 is National Breastfeeding Week, where health organisations raise awareness of the benefits of breastfeeding, the options available to parents, and also to break down barriers around breastfeeding.

“This is about saying that mums and babies come first, and we want them to feel supported and safe when out and about across the borough, whatever feeding choices they make.

“I am proud that, as a council, we are making a strong stand on this fundamentally important issue and we will be working with other partners and workplaces over the coming months to support parents in how they choose to feed their babies.

“The move to a breastfeeding friendly borough would also not be possible without the support of Rotherham NHS Foundation Trust’s Infant Feeding team and their peer support volunteers who support new parents all year round.”