Mothers ‘should not face abuse’ if they breastfeed in public places Calls for a ‘culture change’ in Birmingham
CALLS have been made for a ‘culture change’ around breastfeeding in public in Birmingham after claims mothers are still being branded ‘disgusting’.
Mothers carrying out the practice in public spaces are meant to be protected from being discriminated by businesses by the Equality Act 2010 – but not everyone is comfortable with it happening near them in public.
The issue was raised as members of Birmingham City Council’s Health and Social Care overview and scrutiny committee debated childhood obesity this week, with more than one in ten youngsters (11.5 per cent) in the city overweight by the time they reach reception.
Cllr Peter Fowler (Cons, Harborne) said: “Ladies that do breastfeed, when they go outside they have very few places to go
“Are we encouraging our out- lets like cafes, your M&S, or whoever so that there is a place for mothers to go?
“I know there are experiences from mothers who have told me when they breastfeed in a cafe they have been told by another lady ‘this is disgusting you should do that somewhere else’.
“I thoroughly support ladies who breastfeed. It is the most natural and healthy thing for women to be able to do. When they do it in public I know they try and do it discreetly.”
In response, Sharon Aspinall, infant feeding coordinator at Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: “What we try and do is raise confidence in mothers and fathers to feed wherever they can. They are covered by the Equality Act.
“It is about building confidence and letting mums know it’s okay. A lot of premises do encourage mothers, but I have heard experiences where negative comments have been made.
“That’s why we need to change our culture around accepting and embracing something is normal to do.
“It shouldn’t be that in 2018 women need to ask permission to do that.”
Breastfeeding is generally regarded as the best nutritional start for babies, and rates at six to eight weeks are high in the city compared with other areas.
Breastfeeding support is just one way in which the council encourages healthy eating for children, as well as encouraging registration for the Government’s Healthy Start Vouchers, Startwell which works to deliver nutritional advice to nurseries and the HENRY programme which works with overweight preschool children.
But Dr Dennis Wilkes, assistant director of public health, admitted the measures were very ‘limited’ and the council and health organisations need to change their approach to tackle childhood obesity which he described as a ‘rising epidemic’.
Cllr Rob Pocock (Lab, Suttin Vesey), chairman of the commit- that tee, added: “We have seen some fine work going on but as it stands it is not enough to deal with the problem.
“We lack for the city an overall strategy for dealing with this.
“The issue is now in the council’s corporate plan as a headline performance indicator.
“We are.going to have to get on top of this.”