Limerick’s new breastfeeding friendly campaign ‘sets a great example’

LIMERICK’S new breastfeeding-friendly campaign “is a hugely positive and progressive move that will benefit new mums and babies”, according to a local mother.

Speaking at the launch of the ‘We're Breastfeeding Friendly’ campaign this Wednesday, Limerick mum Sarah Keane, from Coonagh, said it “sets a great example for other cities and counties”.

Limerick City and County Council is the first local authority to run such a campaign promoting support for breastfeeding.

Supported by Healthy Ireland, it aims to help improve the health and wellbeing of breastfeeding mothers, babies and their families.

The campaign seeks to encourage businesses, organisations and communities to become breastfeeding friendly and sign up.

“The ‘We’re Breastfeeding Friendly’ campaign is really about our youngest citizens, our babies across all of Limerick,” said Mayor of the City and County of Limerick, Cllr James Collins.

“It is not a breastfeeding promotional campaign but rather a campaign that is focussing on the environment around babies and mothers being friendly and welcoming to breastfeeding.

“It’s also about making those in that environment fully at ease with breastfeeding.”

“Think of the many public places and spaces that new parents may go in and out of – customer services here in this building, health centre, GP surgeries, pharmacies, hotels, restaurants, community centres, sports and leisure facilities, libraries, offices, indoor play centres, churches, places of worship and so on. We’re Breastfeeding Friendly is seeking to make all of these friendly to breastfeeding.”

Margaret Quigley, Director of Midwifery, UL Hospitals, said it was a “brilliant campaign and we are wholeheartedly behind it”.

The initiative is very simple and cost-free for a business, group or organisation to sign up to. In order to join, participants must fulfil certain criteria.

For more, email healthy.limerick@limerick.ie. For more information on breastfeeding and breastfeeding supports available, see www.breastfeeding.ie.