Love Mums is a new programme of support for pregnant women, mums and families to help prepare for feeding when baby arrives, by making sure that they have access to the right information about feeding and the chance to talk about it.
Local research shows 70% of mums try to breastfeed however many quickly stop because of a lack of information, advice and support. Women have said they do not receive sufficient information about breastfeeding nor do they have the opportunity to talk about it with professionals or peers.
That’s why Love Mums is launching next week. At the launch event mums and mums-to-be will be able to indulge in free head massages, mini-manicures and a Zumba taster session. A crèche will be available and there is face painting and two bouncy castles to keep the children entertained! There will of course also be information and workshops about Love Mums and people on hand to answer questions about baby feeding.
Love Mums offers an exciting new network of support for pregnant women through the use of peer supporters, workshops, Baby Feeding Friendly Cafes and Baby Feeding Friendly Spaces.
Peer supporters are local mums trained to give breastfeeding support and advice; they offer support, reassurance, guidance and tips on techniques during those early days of motherhood.
The baby feeding friendly cafes are weekly get-togethers that Mums and mums-to-be can attend within Barking and Dagenham’s Children’s Centres. This will offer the opportunity to have open and honest discussions and learn from the experiences of others. Residents can call 020 8227 5395 to find their local Children’s centre.
LifeLine has been working with Love Mums and will be running ‘Feeding your baby’ workshops to help parents get prepared in advance of baby arriving.
An important part of this scheme has been working with partners and local businesses to set up the ‘Baby Feeding Friendly Spaces’; spaces which welcome mums to feed their baby when out and about.
The Council including its Children’s Centres, leisure centres and libraries are already signed up, as are GP surgeries and a number of businesses including The Apprentice Café in Barking Town Square. Businesses interested in signing up to this scheme can email rachel.weber@lbbd.gov.uk or can call 020 8227 5344.
Cabinet Member for Health, Cllr Maureen Worby, said: “I think that this scheme is fantastic. It’s very important for mums-to-be to make an informed decision about feeding their babies; but often as they have so many things to prepare for before giving birth, feeding options can sometimes get a little lost in amongst everything else, so I hope that local mums find this scheme very useful as a way of getting and sharing information and their experiences.
“Research has shown breastfeeding to have a number of benefits for baby and I hope that with more information being available and more Baby Feeding Friendly Spaces becoming available for mums to use while out, mums-to-be will feel better supported to make their baby feeding choice and should that be breastfeeding then hopefully the support of Love Mums will help them stick with it.”
Look out for Love Mums information in local Children’s Centres, GP surgeries, libraries and leisure centres, there’s also information online at www.lovemums.org.uk (live from Monday 25 June).