Focusing on making every feed count

Women are being invited to a unique photoshoot to normalise breastfeeding

Wigan-based charity Breastfeeding Together is looking for women who are breastfeeding, or have breastfed in the past, to be involved in a unique session as part of their new Every Feed Counts campaign.

Whether you fed for one day, a week, a month, a year or more, they want to hear from you and hear why you chose to breastfeed.

Breastfeeding Together’s project manager Elinor Halliwell said: “How often do you see women’s breasts in the media – whether it’s advertising a product, in a magazine or a Hollywood blockbuster?

“Now, how often do you see a woman using those breasts to feed a child? Part of encouraging more women to breastfeed is normalising the practice.

“Many women and girls have never seen anyone breastfeed and so it can be quite an alien concept.

“As part of the photoshoot we want to display how natural, normal and beautiful it is for women to use their breasts to feed their babies – for however long they choose to do it.”

“We’d like anyone who supports breastfeeding to be part of the Every Feed Counts campaign, so even if you’re no longer breastfeeding we’d love you to come along and join us at the photo shoot.”

The World Health Organization says babies should be exclusively fed breast milk for six months, then breastfeeding should form part of the baby’s diet up to two years and beyond.

However, breastfeeding rates across the UK are considerably lower than in other areas of the world.

Around 80 per cent of mums start out breastfeeding at birth but just one in 200 women are still breastfeeding their children after they reach their first birthday.

The charity is aiming to change this situation.

Breastfeeding Together is a peer support service focusing on mother-to-mother support and understanding and runs breastfeeding support groups across the borough.

It also operates support on maternity wards, runs an out-of-hours live chat service and provides home visits within the community.

Breastfeeding supporters and volunteers undergo a rigorous level two training course so they can provide the most up-to-date information to parents.

If you’d like to be involved, please drop in to Wigan Investment Centre, Waterside Drive, Wigan WN3 5BA between 10am and 2pm on Saturday.

For further information, contact Elinor Halliwell, project manager at Breastfeeding Together, on 01942 777903 or [email protected].