Mums, babies, family and friends are invited to come together with a picnic at various locations across the East Riding to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week.
The theme for this year is Step Up for Breastfeeding – Educate and Support and a number of events are being organised by East Riding of Yorkshire Council’s children’s centres, supported by integrated specialist public health nurses from Humber NHS Teaching Foundation Trust, to help provide help and support to those who are breastfeeding.
The free events will take place at 11am on Friday, 5 August at the following locations:
- Flemingate, Beverley
- North Side Beach, Bridlington
- Cottingham Children’s Centre
- Highfield House, Driffield
- West Park, Goole
- Mr Moo’s ice cream parlour, Skipsea
- Lighthouse Gardens, Withernsea
The council’s children’s centres and Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust integrated specialist public health nursing service are accredited as a Gold Baby Friendly initiative service and help promote breastfeeding.
Help and support is available to all families including ante-natal parent education sessions, breastfeeding cafes and one-to-one support for any complex breastfeeding issues.
Councillor Victoria Aitken, portfolio holder for children and young people’s education, health and wellbeing at East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said: “The benefits of breastfeeding are well documented and can have long-term positive effects on babies.
“Being a new parent can bring some challenges and some mothers may find breastfeeding difficult so I’d encourage anyone who would like support to breastfeed to get in touch with the staff at the children’s centre who really can provide that help and support.
“I’d also encourage mothers, fathers, families and friends to attend the events on Friday. We’ve had a difficult two years with the COVID-19 pandemic and so this is an opportunity for new parents to meet up, share tips and advice and potentially make new friendship groups with people in similar situations.”
Debbie Jackson, infant feeding co-ordinator at Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust, said: “World Breastfeeding Week is a great opportunity to celebrate our local mothers who are giving their babies breastmilk, either directly from the breast or giving expressed.
“We know that this will improve the health of children in Hull and the East Riding both in the short and long term.
“Our ISPHN 0-19 team has recently expanded, which will help us to provide more opportunities to work within our local communities, strengthen collaborative working, share innovations and ideas, and ensure that local families continue to receive the best infant feeding advice and support possible.”
* For more information about the events, or for advice and help on breastfeeding go to www.eastriding.gov.uk/living/children-and-families/childrens-centres
For more information about breastfeeding support in the East Riding, along with details of weekly breastfeeding support groups go to www.humberisphn.nhs.uk/east-yorkshire-breastfeeding-support
