Launched last August during World Breastfeeding Week, ‘Breastfeeding Welcome’ offered cafes, pubs, restaurants and other venues the chance to display a special sticker to show they welcome and support new mums who want to breastfeed.

One year on, more than 100 businesses have signed up.

Emma Redhead, of the Barley Sheaf in Truro, said:

“We thought it was a really good idea to have a safe environment where women can feed their babies and don’t feel like they are going to be judged or looked at.”

And Emma Sims, of The Hair Boutique in Truro, said:

“We signed up to the Breastfeeding Welcome scheme because it is something we’ve supported anyway. We are more than happy for new mums to come in with their babies, get their hair done and feel comfortable that they can come in and breastfeed as and when they need to.”

Research shows that around 90% of parents in Cornwall wish to breastfeed but around a third of babies are no longer breastfed after six to eight weeks.

This is often due to problems that could be helped with better breastfeeding support. By law, women have a right to breastfeed in any public place, but many mums feel nervous about doing so.

Besides encouraging businesses to help out, the council has also supported breastfeeding mums in other ways including extending peer support groups into the school holidays and recruiting a new team of Infant Feeding Support Workers in the community.

Cllr Barbara Ellenbroek, cabinet member for children and families at Cornwall Council, said:

“It’s great news that so many businesses have pledged their support for this important campaign. Many mums feel nervous about breastfeeding in public places, which can mean they end up staying at home when their baby is born. This can make them feel lonely and isolated or mean that they choose not to breastfeed or stop feeding before they want to.

“The Breastfeeding Welcome scheme is a brilliant way for businesses and organisations to show that they support women who want to breastfeed and will help them feel more comfortable feeding their baby in their premises.”

Women have a legal right to breastfeed in any public place. The Equality Act 2010 says that it is against the law to treat a woman unfavourably because she is breastfeeding. This covers any business or organisation that provides services to the public and it applies to any staff and customers of that business or organisation.

Ruth Fromow, Infant Feeding Lead at Cornwall Council, added:

“I’m delighted that our Breastfeeding Welcome campaign has attracted so much support among the business community and I would urge any business that hasn’t yet signed up to do so and display a sticker.

“Unfortunately, there are still some people who complain about mums feeding their babies in public even though it is against the law to treat a woman unfairly because she is breastfeeding.

“Hopefully this scheme will continue to give both breastfeeding mums and business owners a powerful tool to ensure their rights are upheld.”

For more information on the scheme visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/breastfeedingwelcome or for more on breastfeeding and support available visit www.cornwall.gov.uk/breastfeeding

You can watch a video of some business owners talking about the scheme here: https://vimeo.com/992829717