‘I can’t wait for the day that we don’t need stickers on windows for women to feel welcome and supported to breastfeed in public.’
That was the statement Social Democrat Cllr Isobel Towse made at the most recent West Cork Municipal District meeting, when she welcomed a local authority initiative during National Breastfeeding Week, October 1st to 8th.
The ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’ promo stickers for shops and restaurants have been made available as part of an initiative by the council, in collaboration with the Health Service Executive and Healthy Ireland.
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The stickers are designed to help improve the health and wellbeing of new mums, but Cllr Towse told The Southern Star: ‘What we really need is more lactation consultants and a cultural shift around breastfeeding, which will hopefully be helped by this initiative.’
Isobel shared a photograph of her breastfeeding her baby in Connolly’s of Leap in 2022, in a bid to help normalise breastfeeding in public.
‘I am still breastfeeding her three years later,’ said Isobel who believes it is important to promote extended, or natural term, breastfeeding.
Isobel is calling on anyone who runs a café, a pub, a hotel, or any other public space to make their premises more breastfeeding friendly.
‘All you have to do is visit the Cork County Council website to earn a sticker and other promotional material for your premises,’ she added.
‘All that’s needed is a quiet space for breastfeeding, some brief training for members of staff on the needs of breastfeeding mums, or even bringing mums a glass of water can all help new mums adapt to breastfeeding in public and being made to feel welcome,’ she said.
Isobel was part of a Cork County Council and Healthy Ireland focus group of breastfeeding mums in 2023.
‘They were looking for input from mums into this scheme,’ she said, ‘and I’m glad they took on board my suggestion that venues have to make their premises more breastfeeding friendly in order to be awarded a sticker.’
‘It helps,’ she concluded, ‘to differentiate between regular places, where you can of course still breastfeed, and places that are going the extra mile to support you.’
