Bristol is Best for Breastfeeding!

Here at Friendly Baby we are bursting with pride that the Baby Friendly Award has been presented to Bristol's NHS Trust. This is a copy of an article from the Evening Post.

-----
BRISTOL has become the first city in the UK to be recognised for its support of breastfeeding mothers.

Unicef has awarded NHS Bristol their Baby Friendly Award for the work they are doing to promote breastfeeding.

Rates of breastfeeding in the UK are among the lowest in the developed world, despite evidence that it protects mums and babies against many illnesses.

Bristol's maternity units have already been given the Unicef Baby Friendly status but with the new award work in community is also being highlighted.

NHS Bristol has been working closely with health visitors, the council, hospitals and voluntary organisations to support breastfeeding mums.

There is a network of volunteer peer supporters to help mums, support groups, and a scheme where cafes and restaurants have signed up to show they welcome breastfeeding. New projects are also due to start in the summer to promote breastfeeding to teenage mums and to target women in the areas where breastfeeding rates are the lowest. Dr Hugh Annett, Bristol's director of public health, said: "This is fantastic news for Bristol.

"It demonstrates the hard work going on in the NHS and with other agencies in the city to promote breast feeding. We decided to join forces with Unicef UK's Baby Friendly Initiative to increase breastfeeding rates and to improve care for all mothers.

"Breastfeeding protects babies against a wide range of serious illnesses including gastroenteritis and respiratory infections in infancy, as well as allergies, diabetes and obesity in childhood.

"We also know that breastfeeding reduces the mother's risk of some cancers, as well as being cheaper and often easier than bottle-feeding."

Sue Ashmore, Unicef UK Baby Friendly director, said the award was momentous for mothers and babies in the city. She said: "Consistently good care around infant feeding from the beginning of pregnancy onwards should be something every woman can expect. Unfortunately this is often not the case.

"But at last Bristol has shown it can be done. NHS Bristol has become the first primary care trust in the country to gain Baby Friendly accreditation, and joins both city hospital maternity units, at St Michael's Hospital and Southmead Hospital, in implementing evidence based best practice around infant feeding.

"Bristol has worked incredibly hard to achieve this award ensuring that mothers and babies will be getting the care they deserve throughout the city, antenatally and postnatally."

----

Well done Bristol! If only more areas in the country would take their responsibility seriously to help Mum's who want to breastfeed. Friendly Baby, based in Bristol, have a range of breastfeeding products to help you. Available to order wherever in the UK you are!