Lansinoh are asking people to nominate places that they feel go above and beyond to support breastfeeding mums and make them feel welcome. Participating nominating members of the public will be in with a chance of winning a Mini Break with Luxury Family Hotels.
GETTING BREASTFEEDING OUT IN THE OPEN
Lansinoh are set to launch the Feed with Confidence Awards to
coincide with World Breastfeeding Week (1st-7th August). The awards are designed to celebrate places
and people across the country supporting breastfeeding mums.
In 2015, 776,950 babies were born in the UK[1].
Yet just 0.5% of UK mums are breastfeeding their newborn at 12 months[2],
despite recommendations from the World Health Organisation to continue
breastfeeding into your baby's second year. With British breastfeeding rates
among the worst in the world, could the culprit be society’s attitudes towards
breastfeeding?
To understand if there is a stigma attached to breastfeeding in public,
Lansinoh conducted research to gauge public opinion[3].
The new research quashed common misconceptions, revealing that the over 65s are
the most accepting and that men are more comfortable with it than women.
|
Most
Uncomfortable Places
|
|
Pub (51%)
|
|
Restaurant (48%)
|
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Café (40%)
|
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Least Uncomfortable Places
|
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Beach (16%)
|
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Park (17%)
|
|
Airport (20%)
|
Witnessing a woman
breastfeeding in a café, restaurant or pub was uncomfortable for an average of
46% of people. Despite the most comfortable public spaces being revealed as the
great outdoors, a surprising percentage of people still felt uncomfortable at
the park (17%) and beach (16%).
People surveyed were least accepting towards
breastfeeding in front of teenagers, with almost half of respondents agreeing it
makes them feel uncomfortable. Over
a third of people surveyed were not even comfortable seeing a woman breastfeed
in front of another woman.
Although lack of support from policy
makers and opinion leaders was the least popular reason for low breastfeeding
rates, 1 in 3 still felt that it’s a significant root cause despite it being illegal
for anyone to ask a breastfeeding woman to leave a public place, such as a
cafe, shop or public transport*. More than half
of people agreed that rates are low because women don’t want to risk abuse.
“We’re committed to supporting all mums who choose to breastfeed, and Feed With Confidence is an important initiative for us because it highlights the places and the people who are doing exactly that,” explains Kevin Vyse-Peacock, CEO, Lansinoh Laboratories. “The more we encourage openness and acceptance within society, the more confident mums will become – and that’s good news for everyone."
Michelle Lyne,
Professional Education Advisor at The Royal College of Midwives (RCM), says: “There
has been significant and reliable evidence produced over recent years to show
that breastfeeding has important health advantages for both baby and mother.
The RCM believes that breastfeeding is the best way to get the baby off to a
good start in life and has a positive impact on mother-baby relationships and
nurturing of maternal and infant mental health.”
“Women breastfeeding should not be made to feel
uncomfortable or guilty. The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal for anyone to
ask a breastfeeding woman to stop breastfeeding, or cover up or leave a public
place, such as a cafe, shop or public transport.”
“Educating the public is really the key to developing a
culture of positive support for breastfeeding women right across society. However,
we must remember to ensure that women have access to skilled advice and support
to help them to initiate and sustain breastfeeding.”
The Feed With Confidence Awards recognise people and places that help to
support mums and positively change perceptions. The awards are supported by the Lansinoh Feed With
Confidence Ambassador: Al Ferguson of The Dad Network. To make a nomination, please visit www.lansinoh.co.uk/feedwithconfidence. The closing date for entries is the 31st December 2017 and the
winners will be announced in January.
About
Lansinoh
was founded by Rasheda Hagen in 1984 to offer breastfeeding women a safe and
effective alternative to the highly cosmetic products that were available for
nipple soreness – a major reason for failing to establish successful
breastfeeding relationships.
When
mums choose to breastfeed, Lansinoh believes they should have the support and
encouragement they need to experience all its benefits, and ensure baby feels
the same. We’ll always take our mothers seriously and their needs personally,
creating high-quality products mums want and can trust as they nurture their
babies and develop a special bond only formed in motherhood.
Visit www.lansinoh.co.uk
for the full range of products and more information. www.twitter.com/lansinohfamily (@lansinohfamily)
www.facebook.com/LansinohFamily
www.facebook.com/LansinohFamily
[1] ‘Births in UK: 2015’, Office for National Statistics
[2] ‘Breastfeeding in
the 21st Century: epidemiology, mechanisms and lifelong effect’, The Lancet, 2016 <http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)01024-7/abstract>
[3] All figures unless stated otherwise are according to
research on a nationally representative sample of 1000 UK adults carried out by
ID Insight Consulting on behalf of Lansinoh, 2017.
* In England and Wales, the Equality Act states that it
is sex discrimination to treat a woman unfavourable because she is
breastfeeding. In Scotland, breastfeeding is protected by the Breastfeeding
etc. (Scotland) Act 2005, under which it is an offence to stop someone in a
public place from breastfeeding their child, if under two.
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