Bid to boost breastfeeding spaces for Jersey mums

Government scheme is aimed at supporting women to breastfeed

Businesses in Jersey are being encouraged to provide spaces for breastfeeding mums.

The government said a joint initiative with charity Family Nursing and Home Care will make Jersey "more breastfeeding friendly".

Businesses offering changing facilities and feeding spaces will be supported to flag their status online, it said.

Deputy Raluca Kovacs said breastfeeding parents can find it "difficult to know where to go".

Deputy Kovacs, Breastfeeding Guardian for Jersey, added: "I would really like businesses to sign-up in support of this new initiative.

"To be truly baby-friendly, I believe that the whole Island has a role to play."

'Wider community'

She said a lot of firms already provide facilities and "understand the value that new parents and families have as consumers".

The scheme is part of Breastfeeding Awareness Week, which starts on 1 August.

On 2 August, businesses registered breast-feeding friendly will be encouraged to offer an incentive to mothers choosing to breastfeed.

Debra Hennessy, from Family Nursing and Home Care, added: "For a new breastfeeding mother, having the support of family, friends and the wider community can make a huge difference to their feeding journey and impact their choice to continue to feed for the long term."

Jersey's Births and Breastfeeding Profile 2022, published in March, showed 65% of mothers were breastfeeding at six to eight weeks after birth.

This is the highest recorded percentage between 2011 and 2022.

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