Led by the city’s Infant Feeding Peer Support team, the week runs between 1 and 7 August, and this year’s theme will be ‘Prioritise Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems’.
The theme reflects the growing call for consistent, long-term support to enable families to breastfeed for as long as they choose. The Council aims to show that Sheffield is a breastfeeding friendly city.
To help facilitate this, the call is being made for businesses across the city to sign up and boost the number of public spaces that have secured the Breastfeeding Friendly Award.
Celebration events
The week launches with a special event at The Winter Garden on Friday 1 August from 10.30am to 1.30pm.
Families and professionals are invited to bring a picnic, celebrate breastfeeding and find out about local support.
The Council's Family Hubs have a dedicated Infant Feeding Peer Support Team who work closely with midwives and health visitors to provide information and support during pregnancy, as well as after a baby is born.
The team offer one-to-one support, both face to face and via telephone, for as long as it is required for all Sheffield mothers.
The service also offers weekly breastfeeding support drop-ins at various venues across the city. These offer a chance for ongoing breastfeeding support and encouragement, as well as a chance to make new friends with other mothers and babies on a similar journey.
To find out about all this and more at the Winter Garden celebration, call 01142 735665, or email the team.
The celebrations will also be coming out into communities at some of the city’s favourite parks:
- 4 August - Graves Park – more information here
- 5 August - Ponderosa Park – more information here
- 6 August - Norfolk Park – more information here
The week will close with a gathering at Meadowhall on Thursday 7th August between 10am and 12pm, which has been certified with a Breastfeeding Friendly Award. The shopping centre’s iconic dome will be lit up in pink in support of World Breastfeeding Week.
Parents are invited to come along to the red sofa area found on Lower High Street in the shopping centre. Here they can get information about the award and be shown Meadowhall's special nursing room and facilities. Other businesses are invited to attend and find out how they can also sign up to support parents.
All events are free and open to the public. Bring food, family, and join the celebration.
Sheffield prides itself as a child-friendly city, and a baby-friendly city.
We do all we can to support parents with their children, and this is just one of the support mechanisms in place.
We want people to feel as comfortable as possible about breastfeeding in the city. Parents should be able to go out with their young children and not have to worry about what they can do if they need to feed while out of the house. Come along, meet the teams and see what support is available.
Cllr Dawn Dale, Chair of Sheffield City Council’s Education, Children’s and Families Committee
Breastfeeding Friendly public spaces
Parents have the legal right to breastfeed anywhere at any time - and cannot be asked to move or leave.
To make things easier when they're out and about, Sheffield celebrates public spaces that go the extra mile to welcome and support breastfeeding families.
The Breastfeeding Friendly Award highlights public spaces with good facilities and a supportive environment.
The Council is always looking for more businesses and public spaces to show their support. More information on how to sign up, and an interactive map highlighting breastfeeding friendly spaces, can be found on the Breastfeeding South Yorkshire website.
Breastfeeding Friendly employers
There is also a Breastfeeding Friendly Award for Employers. This highlights workplaces across the city that offer a good level of facilities and support for breastfeeding parents.
Returning to work is one of the key barriers to breastfeeding. Breastfeeding rates drop quickly after this point due to parents feeling unsupported or unsure of how to navigate breastfeeding and returning to work.
Signing up to the Breastfeeding Friendly Award for Employers is a powerful way of promoting a supportive work environment for parents. More information can be found on the Breastfeeding South Yorkshire website.
