Council and HSE launch 'We're Breastfeeding Friendly Louth' campaign

Louth County Council, in conjunction with the HSE, are launching the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign on Tuesday 3rd Oct 2023. 

The launch of the campaign comes during National Breastfeeding Week (1st-7th October) and is supported by Healthy Ireland. 

The campaign aims to help improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies, and their families through the development and promotion of breastfeeding friendly businesses, organisations and communities in County Louth. 

Generally, mothers who breastfeed their babies, when out and about, do so with ease. But there are a number of factors which can ensure mothers feel comfortable when breastfeeding in shops, restaurants and other public places, including a welcoming, helpful attitude from staff; and other patrons knowing and accepting that babies may be breastfed there.

Healthy Louth will adopt a ‘test and learn’ approach and will kick start the campaign with a pilot in Dunleer. Healthy Louth would like to invite the business, community and voluntary sector based in Dunleer to sign up and lead the way as the first ‘Breastfeeding Friendly’ town in Louth. If you wish to get involved, please contact Paula Keenan the Healthy Louth Coordinator by e-mailing healthylouth@louthcoco.ie. 

As part of the campaign, a pack which includes a ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ booklet, an A5 window sticker and an A3 poster will be distributed to businesses and organisations on request. Premises can display stickers and posters to support those breastfeeding, so families will know they will receive a warm welcome on the premises. 

A GIS map will also be developed to map Breastfeeding Friendly Locations so families can easily find our breastfeeding friendly environments in Louth.

The ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign will roll out countywide across all Louth County Council premises including the libraries and sports facilities over the coming months. 

Cllr Paula Butterly, Cathaoirleach, Louth County Council, said: 

“I am really pleased to be launching the 'We're Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign, and particularly during National Breastfeeding Week. This campaign is a collaborative effort with private, community and statutory organisations actively showing their support for breastfeeding families, helping to make them feel welcome and supported with some simple, no-cost actions”.

“Creating an environment that is welcoming to mothers who breastfeed is a really positive initiative and I want to encourage businesses, organisations and communities to sign up and to make 'We're Breastfeeding Friendly Louth' a success for everyone".

Joan Martin, Chief Executive, Louth County Council, said:

“Louth County Council supports the health and wellbeing of everyone in the county. The national Healthy Ireland Framework 2019-2025 sets out the importance of community health initiatives in promoting population health and wellbeing. Local campaigns like ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ are examples of how businesses, organisations and statutory bodies can come together as part of these health and wellbeing aims, in this case supporting families who choose to breastfeed in Louth.

“Louth is a beautiful county, and the Healthy Louth vision is to make it a healthier place for everyone. Promoting family friendly spaces is just one example of the work Healthy Louth is doing”. 

Paula Keenan, Healthy Louth Coordinator, said:

“’We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ forms part of a wider vision for family friendly spaces in Louth. The campaign receives the full support of the Louth Health & Wellbeing Sub-Committee and the Local Community Development Committee (LCDC). 

“We are grateful to the community centres, sports, recreation facilities, restaurants, libraries and health centres who are already signed up to and are actively participating in the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign.

"We are determined to continue our collaborative work with Healthy Ireland and create opportunities to further enhance the health and wellbeing of all who live and or work in County Louth.”

Roisin McMahon, HSE Clinical Nurse Manager for Infant Feeding/ Lactation, Louth Public Health Nursing Dept said:

“I congratulate all involved in the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign in creating welcoming and supportive public places and spaces for new breastfeeding parents. The leadership shown through the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ initiative in promoting and normalising breastfeeding has the potential to make breastfeeding more enjoyable for families when socialising in their community. 

“Evidence indicates that breastfeeding practices are highly responsive to interventions delivered in health systems, communities and homes. The largest effects are achieved when these interventions are delivered in combination (Lancet Breastfeeding Series 2016). Therefore, this initiative by Louth County Council demonstrates the importance of a multi-faceted approach to improving breastfeeding rates and duration”. 

The project is being funded by Healthy Ireland, a government-led initiative which aims to create an Irish society where everyone can enjoy physical and mental health, and where wellbeing is valued and supported at every level of society.

Click on links for informative videos produced as part of the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign:     https://youtu.be/n-bE31NOuvE

                                                   https://youtu.be/Ax5OpHa5W6U

For more information on the ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Louth’ campaign, please visit: https://www.louthcoco.ie/en/services/communities/programmes/healthy-louth/we-re-breastfeeding-friendly-louth/ or contact the Healthy Louth Coordinator, email: healthylouth@louthcoco.ie