Breastfeeding boost from the council

Nursing mothers are to receive more support to continue breastfeeding with the launch of an initiative by North Lanarkshire Council.

The council aims to encourage more employees to breastfeed for longer by providing appropriate workplace breastfeeding facilities and access to flexible working arrangements to support them when they return to work from maternity leave.

The commitment to providing a framework that will change the current culture from bottle to breastfeeding comes after a report to support improved awareness and engagement for breastfeeding across North Lanarkshire was agreed.

Both the council and NHS Lanarkshire have signed up to a multi-strand approach that will explore further opportunities to improve breastfeeding figures including:

• Incorporating breastfeeding awareness into the education curriculum from nursery through to secondary school, including breastfeeding awareness sessions to senior pupils as part of the Personal, Social and Health Education (PHSE) programme.

• Incorporating breastfeeding facilities at the design stage of any new construction projects, particularly those included in the proposed £500 million community investment fund, or in any future refurbishment plans for existing council buildings.

• Working with its partners to promote the benefits of breastfeeding as well as the council and NHS breastfeeding facilities available, to staff and the wider public.

• Assisting young parent groups with practical skills to improve nutrition and infant feeding through Community Learning and Development classes.

• Adapting the council’s diet and nutrition policy to ensure the promotion of breastfeeding is included.

Scottish Government statistics show that the Scottish average drop-off rate for breastfeeding at 6-8 weeks in 2016/17 was 40.8 per cent, with North Lanarkshire showing the second lowest rate of all 32 local authority areas, at 21.5 per cent.

Councillor Paul Kelly, depute leader of the council, said: “Breastfeeding rates in North Lanarkshire are low and it’s important that we make every effort to change the current bottle-fed culture to one that is focused on breastfeeding.

“We can help to increase breastfeeding rates by encouraging our own people, who in the main live in North Lanarkshire, to breastfeed for as long as possible.”

And he added:“we are committed to exploring a range of opportunities that will ultimately encourage more women to breastfeed, such as providing breastfeeding-friendly facilities and delivering a practical educational programme that improves knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding.”