Respect Yourself supports World Breastfeeding Week
Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign is reminding young mothers about some of the benefits of breastfeeding their babies, as part of World Breastfeeding Week (1-7 August).
The annual celebration – organised by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) - runs in more than 120 countries to encourage breastfeeding and improve the health of babies around the world.
This year the theme of the campaign is ‘Breastfeeding: Just 10 steps – the baby-friendly way”, which highlights ten steps that WABA believes every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should have.
These include: a breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff; to train for all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy; and to inform all pregnant mothers about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
With that in mind, Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign is helping to ensure that the right information and support is available locally for young mothers who may decide to breastfeed their newborn baby.
Countywide, midwives and health visitors offer young mothers support and there are also breastfeeding advice and support groups in many Children’s Centres.
Midwives provide dedicated antenatal care to young parents in Nuneaton and Bedworth through the PIPPS (Providing Information and Positive Parenting Support) scheme. Through PIPPS, they also explore the benefits of breastfeeding as well as tackling any negative perceptions.
Kathy Siddle, Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign Co-ordinator, said: “Just like older mums, young mums need a lot of support with their newborn baby. We want to ensure that, when it comes to feeding, they get everything they need to make an informed decision that is right for them and their baby – whether that’s breastfeeding or bottle-feeding.
“It is really important that young mums attend antenatal classes and that midwives and health visitors provide extra support if the young mum wants to breastfeed.
“Equally we would welcome more breastfeeding advice and support groups dedicated to young mums, as they are more likely to attend and continue to attend if they are with their peers. At the end of the day our aim is to ensure that for those young mums who wish to breastfeed, support is in place”.
Helen King, NHS Warwickshire’s Deputy Director of Public Health, said: “Breastfeeding support for young mothers is vitally important. Our breastfeeding peer support group in North Warwickshire is going really well and we are looking at starting up similar groups across the county.
“All the mum’s who attend are so enthusiastic about the benefits of breastfeeding, which is really encouraging and they are helping us to spread the positive message of breastfeeding throughout Warwickshire.”
For more information about breastfeeding, visit http://www.warwickshire.nhs.uk.
To find out more about Warwickshire’s Respect Yourself Campaign or for more information regarding relationships and sexual health, visit http://www.respectyourself.info.