Mums who want to breastfeed get greater support

A campaign to support breastfeeding mothers is being extended across Kent following success in Medway.

Beside You gives mums access to advice, information, details of breastfeeding groups and online support through a new website called wearebesideyou.co.uk

Aimed solely at mums living in Kent and Medway, the aim of the campaign is to normalise breastfeeding and clearly outline where and how parents can find help, encouragement and expert advice.

Kent Community Health NHS Trust, which is part of the launch team, says figures for 2018/19 show that two thirds of babies born within Kent and Medway maternity services begin by receiving breast milk.

It is hoped that Beside You will contribute to “normalising breastfeeding in Kent and Medway” and give mothers the right information, support, and guidance to get through any issues they encounter to enable them to feed their babies for as long as they would like to.

Originally launched in Medway in 2016, Beside You was declared a “resounding success” prompting organisations from across Kent and Medway to join forces and make the service and the advice on offer applicable county-wide in order to reach more mothers and babies.

The website covers everything from thinking about feeding options before baby arrives, to the early days and how to approach things like pain, expressing milk, feeding after a c-section and sleep.

Among the organisations involved in Beside You are Medway Council and Kent County Council, both community health trusts, midwives from actute hospital trusts from around the county and breastfeeding support organisations including La Leche League and PSBreastfeeding.

Cllr David Brake, Medway Council’s portfolio holder for public health, was at Jasper’s cafe at Rochester Community

Hub to hand out promotion stickers.

He said: “We are committed to doing all we can to continue to help normalise breastfeeding in Medway.

“We understand that some breastfeeding women will feel nervous about feeding their children when they are out and about and we hope the Beside You stickers will help mums recognise supportive venues such as cafes, restaurants and community hubs.

“All of Medway’s community hubs and libraries are family friendly and I was pleased to put up one of our Beside You stickers in Rochester Community Hub. I would encourage businesses to get in touch to find out more about the Beside You campaign.”

‘We hope the stickers will help mums recognise supportive venues’