Thousands of mums celebrate the 2019 Big Breastfeeding Café
National initiative returned for its 4thyear, as new survey confirms the best breastfeeding support comes from fellow breastfeeders
Thousands of mums took part in The Big Breastfeeding Café this week. The nationwide campaign, led by breastfeeding brand Medela,connected families via a network of mini events on 1stMay.
Now in its 4th year, the 2019 celebration followed a recent survey that revealed 75% of mums believe that guidance from breastfeeding mothers positively impacted their feeding experience.One breastfeeding mum commented that she was “still breastfeeding thanks to inspiration from a friend made at a breastfeeding support group.”
The same survey, which was conducted by Medela and questioned more than 500 mums, also uncovered that nearly two thirds of mums felt that having access to a breastfeeding-friendly café or support group gave them the confidence to breastfeed in public. With funding cuts causing a decline in local support groups, The Big Breastfeeding Café has never been so important to support and celebrate breastfeeding mums.
Over 200 mini events took place on the 1stMay, connecting thousands of mums. From the peaceful Shetland Islands to London, across to Wales and down to Devon, The Big Breastfeeding Café made it to cities, towns and villages across the country.
The event successfully created a community of breastfeeding families on 1stMay and certainly engaged with mums virtually across social media. Hundreds of Instagram stories and posts, using the hashtag #thebigbreastfeedingcafe, came in from café hosts, mums attending events and others simply showing their support.
Speaking about the initiative, SionedHilton, Medela UK’s in-house Lactation Consultant and Education Manager said:
“I am always on hand to support mums with their specific breastfeeding questions, but for one mum to share her breastfeeding experience with another is invaluable support. I am truly passionate about encouraging a community of mums to support each other and it makes me so happy to see this happening as a result of this initiative.”
She added “If we can inspire just one mum to keep this sort of activity going on a regular basis, we have done a good job.Ensuring that all breastfeeding mums have a reassuring and supportive network is vital.”
As well as mum’s hosting in their own homes and independent coffee shops across the UK getting involved, all 91 Coffee#1 cafes took part. Speaking about the day a spokesperson from the chain said:
“We’re so pleased to have hosted today’s event and we’d like to thank the team at Medela and all the mums who took part. With the support of the local community we hope that local mums can see that there is always a safe, comfortable place to come to and feed their baby, and that they aren’t alone if they have questions or are struggling. We hope today has created some friendships and support networks, which will help both mums and babies to feel happy and confident.”
“What a fantastic way to bring breastfeeding mums together all over the country. Making new friends and sharing our individual breastfeeding journeys was brilliant,” commented Sherie Appleton, a mum host.
