The Welcome to Breastfeed - South Tees scheme aims to make mothers feel confident and comfortable breastfeeding in public places in Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland.
Venues include cafes, restaurants, libraries, Family Hubs, and leisure centres across Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland. You can find a full list of venues on the parents page.
We're committed to making breastfeeding an easier choice for mothers, and helping them to feel supported, comfortable, and confident. Our aim is for both Middlesbrough and Redcar and Cleveland to become Breastfeeding Boroughs.
Why breastfeeding is important
Breastfeeding has a number of benefits for both mother and child:
- It's free and does not need any special equipment. Mothers can breastfeed anywhere, so feeding is easy when they're out and about.
- It has a range of health benefits for both mother and child. It can help reduce the risk of ear, chest, and gut infections for children. For the mother, it can help reduce the risk of breast and ovarian cancer.
- It improves bonding and attachment between mother and child. This supports children to feel secure and happy, and is hugely beneficial for brain development in the first 1,001 days.
We know that despite the benefits, lots of mothers do not keep breastfeeding their child. In Middlesbrough, 61% of babies are breastfed at birth, but by 6 to 8 weeks this drops to 39%. In Redcar and Cleveland, 59% of babies are breastfed at birth, but by 6 to 8 weeks this drops to 33%.
The two main reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding are:
- there is not enough help available once they've left hospital
- they feel they cannot breastfeed outside the privacy of their home
The Welcome to Breastfeed scheme aims to normalise breastfeeding, helping mothers to feel safe and confident about breastfeeding outside the home.
