TEATHER BACKS NATIONAL BREASTFEEDING CAMPAIGN

3.27.57pm UTC (GMT +0000) Thu 20th Jul 2006

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather joined petitioners on Tuesday supported by actress and mum Emma Thompson outside 10 Downing Street to call for more support for breastfeeding mothers. The petition has gathered over 5,000 signatures.

The delivery of the Petition followed directly on from a demonstration outside the Department of Health of mums holding placards with the slogan, 'Tony, please support our breasts'.

The petitioners, led by National Childbirth Trust (NCT) member and Founder of Best Beginnings, Alison Baum, have asked Tony Blair to ensure that England acts in accordance with the 2002 World Health Assembly Global Strategy for Infant and Young Child Feeding it originally supported, and puts in place:

i) A National Breastfeeding Strategy

ii) A National Infant Feeding Coordinator with appropriate budget, power and team to initiate and sustain change

(N.Ireland, Wales and Scotland already have National Coordinators and National Breastfeeding Strategies)

In the UK, 9 out of 10 women who stop breastfeeding by 6 weeks would have liked to have breastfed for longer. Many of these women are left feeling angry, guilty and deeply saddened. They stop mostly due to pain or concerns of insufficient milk, both of which are largely avoidable with the right information and support.

Key representatives from the NCT, Royal College of Midwives, Community Practitioners and Health Visitors Association and the Twins and Multiple Births Association accompanied Alison Baum to Downing Street along with David Kidney MP, Annette Brooke MP and Sarah Teather MP.

Since the Petition's launch earlier this year by Alison Baum at the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) conference Making Breastfeeding a Reality, it has gained more than 5,000 signatures from parents, parents-to-be, journalists, breastfeeding counsellors, charities, (including BLISS - the premature baby charity), leading academics, politicians and celebrities.

Evidence indicates that a comprehensive National Breastfeeding Strategy and a Coordinator, would support significant increases in breastfeeding rates and satisfaction among mothers. In Scotland, the last breastfeeding coordinator encouraged Health Boards in the development of their own strategies and hospitals to send their staff on the UNICEF UK Baby Friendly training. There is already an increase in breastfeeding rates in the hospitals that have achieved UNICEF Baby Friendly Status.

Local Liberal Democrat MP Sarah Teather said:

"Women should be given clear advice and guidance about breastfeeding so that they can make informed decisions as to how they care for their child. The Government must introduce as soon as possible a National Breastfeeding Strategy so that more women are given the full facts about breastfeeding. This petition has wide support from health practitioners and health charities it is time the Government listened.

Actor and screenplay writer, Emma Thompson, said,

"I believe the improvements necessary for mothers and babies regarding breastfeeding are enormous and not difficult to implement. So many women are given conflicting information. It's time to get the message across - not only is breastfeeding the perfect beginning for mother and child but it should be allowed whenever and wherever a mother happens to be."

Writer and radio presenter, Vivienne Parry said,

"I'm wholeheartedly behind this petition. Had I not had some great support from a midwife in the early days of breastfeeding my children wouldn't have had such a great start to their life and I would have missed out on a wonderful experience. Women need help and information to make breastfeeding work for them and their children. It should be available."

Rosie Dodds, Policy Research Officer at the NCT, said,

"We need more support for breastfeeding mothers in order for them to feel comfortable and able to breastfeed for as long as they want and where they want."

RCM Regional Southern Manager, Melanie Every, said,

"Breastfeeding mothers in England are denied the right to feed their babies in public, unlike mothers in Scotland. A National Coordinator and Strategy would help drive through legislation to support feeding babies in this most natural and healthy way. This, in turn, would increase our breastfeeding rates and improve the health of future generations."

Tuesday was also the official launch of Best Beginnings, a not-for-profit organisation working to ensure that babies from all socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds are given the best possible start in life. A key objective of Best Beginnings is to work to increase breastfeeding rates in the UK.

Alison said,

"The Best Beginnings website, www.bestbeginnings.info is dedicated to a number of groups, most importantly to the many mothers who wanted to breastfeed but were not enabled to do so."