Moors Valley pledges support for breastfeeding mums (Jan 2018)
Moors Valley Country Park and Forest near Ringwood has become one of the latest locations in Dorset to sign up to the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme promoted by the Families and Babies (FAB) breastfeeding support charity.
While many premises in the county support breastfeeding, those displaying the pink sticker declaring ‘We Welcome Breastfeeding Here’ have pledged to be especially welcoming to nursing mothers.
Moors Valley is visited by thousands of families each year and the Park is committed to ensuring its facilities can be enjoyed by everyone – including nursing mothers.
Joining the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme is another step towards the removal of all possible barriers to participation.
The immediate health benefits of breastfeeding include strengthening a baby’s immune system. Longer term benefits to babies are perhaps less well-known, and include reducing the risk of infection, reducing the risk of problems with kidneys, joints, respiratory and circulation systems and reducing further risks in later life of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Mothers also gain many health benefits from breastfeeding.
Katie Davies, Accessibility Champion at Moors Valley said, “We are delighted to sign up to the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme. According to the medical journal The Lancet*, the UK breastfeeding rates are amongst the worst in the world, yet it really is so simple to make mums and babies feel welcome and to make their visit to us easier. With so many potential health benefits we’d like to encourage other businesses to do the same.”
Melanie Keddie, Marketing Manager for the Forestry Commission South District said, “We’re delighted to be part of this fantastic scheme and we place the utmost importance on the well-being and comfort of our visitors. We understand how beneficial breastfeeding is for both mum and baby, and know that it can be challenging especially in the early days. We hope that by participating in this scheme we can make it easier for mums to get out into the forest with their babies. We look forward to welcoming mums and their babies at Moors Valley Country Park”.
For more information on Families and Babies Support Group and to find your local Breastfeeding group visit www.familiesandbabies.org.uk
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Editors Notes
For more information on the national scheme go to www.breastfeedingwelcomescheme.org.uk
*http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(16)00210-5/fulltext