Portsmouth City Council encourage businesses to 'step up' to support breastfeeding families

Businesses across the city are being asked to show their support to breastfeeding families in line with this year’s World Breastfeeding Week.

Taking place all week until Sunday, the campaign encourages traders to ‘step up’ to breastfeeding.

The council urge firms to sign up to a Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme which aims to provide comfortable and safe environments for breastfeeding families to feed their babies in Portsmouth.

The scheme, which is free to join, requires venues to display window stickers to show they welcome breastfeeding and is delivered through Portsmouth's Early Help and Prevention Service.

More than 130 venues signed up to the scheme, including The Spinnaker Tower, Parade Tearooms, Stagecoach buses, Cascades and Gunwharf Quays.

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Lianne de Mello, from Southsea, is mum to an eight-week-old baby, Lyra.

Speaking of the campaign, she said: ‘As a first-time mum, it can feel a bit intimidating out and about on your own when you need to feed your baby.

‘Though mums have the right to breastfeed anywhere, it’s really good to know that some venues welcome it.’

Councillor Matthew Winnington, cabinet member for health and wellbeing at the city council, said: ‘Key to improving breastfeeding rates is having specialist support available and helping mums feel comfortable to breastfeed in public, so I’m pleased this is something we are striving towards in Portsmouth.’

For businesses or venues wanting to find out more about joining the scheme, contact [email protected]