BABY-FRIENDLY – BEDFORDSHIRE ‘STORM IT’ says UNICEF

South Essex Partnership Trust (SEPT) Community Health Services Bedfordshire, along with Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire Council’s Children’s Centres have successfully achieved the prestigious full ‘UNICEF Baby Friendly’ status and are one of only 23 in the UK to win international recognition from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and among the first in the Eastern Region.

The Award was presented by Sue Ashmore – Director of UNICEF UK Baby Friendly Initiative on 23 May at the Café in Central Bedfordshire Council, Priory House, Monks Walk, Chicksands, Shefford, Bedfordshire, SG17 5TQ

"Bedfordshire Stormed It!” said Baby Friendly Initiative Programme Director, Sue Ashmore. “I can only describe them as a ‘force of nature’, every audit we did showed outstanding scores and I really believe that Bedfordshire could be a Beacon Site for the whole of the UK.  Mothers in Bedfordshire can be confident that they will receive the very highest standards of care.”

"We decided to join forces with UNICEF UK's Baby Friendly Initiative to increase breastfeeding rates and to improve care for all mothers in Bedfordshire” said Jacky Syme – SEPT’s Breastfeeding Co-Ordinator.

“Many mothers tell us that they want to breastfeed their baby – usually for the first six months, because it is the healthier for mum and baby.  However, they have also told us that feeding can be challenging and feeding in public can be difficult as they don’t know where to go, which places have changing facilities and they don’t always feel welcome.”

Which is why we have successfully launched these innovative projects within Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire:

• The creation of 15 ‘Baby Brasseries’ who open their doors on a weekly basis across the county to provide coffee, cake and breastfeeding support from professionals and volunteer mums.  This helps alleviate social isolation and encourages the continuation of breastfeeding – even when times are tough
• A peer supporter programme which has recruited mums who have breastfed and now want to help other mums. Following training, these volunteers help at the Baby Brasseries to offer confidence building and tips on how to overcome the challenges in the early days and stay with the mums to help right through to introducing solid foods as the baby grows
• A ‘Model Mum’ competition which invited young mums to be the face of our breastfeeding promotion campaign for Bedfordshire.  Connie Sharf  was our winner and will now help promote the benefits of Breastfeeding to a target group of hard to reach, young mums, and show that breastfeeding really can be glamorous
• SEPT and Bedford Borough Council collaborated to recognise all the cafes, pubs and restaurants in Bedford who actively welcome breastfeeding mums and babies in their premises with the ‘Breastfeeding Mums Welcome’.  All premises who meet the new criteria are able to proudly display the new ‘Baby Friendly’ window sticker to show they are supporting the award.  Central Bedfordshire are hoping to introduce this scheme in the near future.

• Created a 60 second YouTube film to promote the benefits of breastfeeding to young mums.  As well as being available on YouTube, the film is screened in Children’s Centres and other NHS premises and is available on Smart Phones.

Cllr Mark Versallion, Executive Member for Children's Services at Central Bedfordshire Council, said:

"Central Bedfordshire Council is passionate about helping children get off to a great start in life, and the work of the Council's children's centres is key to making this happen.  Being awarded the UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation is fantastic news and recognition of the outstanding hard work of all the staff and those in our partner organisations."

Cllr Sue Oliver, Portfolio Holder for Children’s Social Care at Bedford Borough Council, said:  “The Bedford Borough community is hugely supportive of breast-feeding and collectively understands the importance of this most natural of instincts. We have worked to promote places where our mothers can feel relaxed in baby-friendly environments, and we are over the moon to receive this recognition.”