Laois declares ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’
Laois Local Community & Development Committee (LCDC), supported by Healthy Ireland Laois County Council, launched ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ – a campaign that aims to help improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families by encouraging businesses, organisations and community groups to become ‘Breastfeeding Friendly’. In seeking to meet those aims, the campaign will:
• Support business, community and public service settings to welcome breastfeeding mothers and families
• Support breastfeeding mothers and families to be active in the community
• Support parents during the key life transition of becoming a parent
• Support a strong culture of connectedness, between agencies, communities & mother, family, baby, & community
Click here to view the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’ Brochure
Click here to see participating organisations
Sign-up to ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ Initiative
By signing up to ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’, private, community and statutory organisations across Laois, can show they welcome and support breastfeeding by some easy and zero-cost actions.
Any business, community group or organisation that has premises open to the public is eligible to join. Hotels, community centres, sports and recreation facilities, restaurants, libraries, or health centres can all fall under the breastfeeding friendly banner.
The initiative is very simple and cost-free for a business, group, or organisation to sign up to. In order to join, participants must fulfil certain criteria.
Firstly, breastfeeding must be acceptable in all areas of their premises open to the public. All staff members and volunteers are made aware and are supportive of the business, community group or organisation participating in the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ campaign.
The intention would be that mothers breastfeeding in the premises, should not be asked to move to another area or stop breastfeeding. The public are made aware which premises are taking part, through the display of a ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ window sticker and/or poster, that will be provided by Laois County Council. It is not a requirement for premises to be adapted in any particular way. Businesses, community groups or organisations can choose to sign up individually or across a number of premises.
“We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois” Video Launch
The ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ campaign is really about our youngest citizens, our babies across all of Laois. It is not a breastfeeding promotional campaign but rather a campaign that is focusing on the environment around babies and mothers being friendly and welcoming to breastfeeding. It’s also about making those in that environment, fully at ease with breastfeeding.
It is imperative that breastfeeding mothers are acknowledged and welcomed in order to support, normalise and promote the breastfeeding relationship and the future of breastfeeding. We hope that in the future both breastfeeding mothers, local businesses and communities will embrace this initiative and it will continue to evolve and grow from strength to strength.
It supports mothers and highlights the importance of breastfeeding for the healthy growth and development of a baby.
The leadership shown through ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Laois’ initiative in promoting and normalising breastfeeding, has the potential to make the experience around breastfeeding better for babies, mothers and those using public spaces”.
For more information on breastfeeding and breastfeeding supports available. See www.breastfeeding.ie www.mychild.ie www.lalecheleagueireland.com www.cuidiu.ie
Further information in relation to this initiative, you are also welcome to email healthylaois@laoiscoco.ie