National Breastfeeding Week 2010

Breast is best? Or Breast is normal? Same message – just a different emphasis?

Some of the press coverage during National Breastfeeding Week has sparked off some interesting conversations. BfN always supports all mothers’ feeding decisions, however they feed their babies and regardless of whether their feeding method is through choice or necessity. One of the skills learnt during training as a breastfeeding volunteer is the ability to put aside knowledge about the risks of not breastfeeding and offer unconditional support to women. So women who simply do not like breastfeeding, or who wanted to breastfeed but have found it a painful and exhausting experience, and women who find it easy are all supported without judgement while they find their own paths.

We unequivocally agree with the Department of Health that it's crucial that mothers get the support they need when breastfeeding, and welcome the investment they have made in these services in recent years.

Alongside their supportive accepting role working with breastfeeding families, our trained volunteers work in parallel with health professionals and the Department of Health to improve the support given to new mothers.

The Government’s National Breastfeeding Week is about giving women the support they need to breastfeed and we want to work with them in achieving this aim – helping women to have a pain-free, happy experience of breastfeeding for as long as they want to.