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HomeHealth and LifestyleDowntown Lindsay supports breastfeeding campaign

Downtown Lindsay supports breastfeeding campaign

KAWARTHA LAKES-Robin Uprichard has no problem breastfeeding her daughter Isla, in public. “When I was pregnant with my first child somebody set the tone for me,” she says. “A co-worker brought her two month old son to a meeting and she just started breastfeeding, like it was nothing” That gesture helped to normalize breast feeding for Uprichard.

Uprichard was a Cheslers Shoes Tuesday morning to help launch a campaign that’s aimed at putting downtown Lindsay on the map as a place that supports breastfeeding.

The “We Support Breastfeeding” campaign encourages local businesses in Lindsay to become breastfeeding-friendly places where women are welcome and feel comfortable feeding their babies. “Breastfeeding has many benefits for mothers and babies, and creating a welcoming and supportive environment for families and breastfeeding mothers is good for business,” says Beatrice Kowalska, a member of the CKL Breastfeeding Coalition, and Family Health Nurse with the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit.

Kari Kelsey, Infant and Child Development Kawartha Lakes says it can be hard for new moms.  “We have a lot of families who have new children so we want to support them the best way we can”

The We Support Breastfeeding campaign is a joint effort between the City of Kawartha Lakes Breastfeeding Coalition and the Lindsay Downtown Business Improvement Area (BIA). Businesses are being encouraged to put a decal in their window letting women know they support breast feeding. Staff and business owners were also provided information explaining that women have the legal right to breastfeed in public and outlining the health and economic benefits that come with creating ‘breastfeeding-friendly places. Resources to train store staff on how to be breastfeeding-friendly are also being provided to downtown businesses. The La Leche League was also on hand. “There are many health benefits for  babies and moms in the long term” says Megan Gill-Vander Weilen,La Leche League.

With more than 600 births a year in the City of Kawartha Lakes, maternity leaves for many women, and up to 90 per cent of new mothers choosing to breastfeed, families with babies and young children represent new, potential customers for local businesses. “Making it easier for mothers to feed their babies while shopping or eating out shows your support and creates a positive customer experience for the family,” Kowalska notes. “That in turn improves customer loyalty and the likelihood of repeat business.”

“Many businesses in downtown Lindsay are embracing the We Support Breastfeeding campaign,” says Melissa McFarland, General Manager of the Lindsay Downtown BIA. “Our members want to make local families feel welcome and supported when they come downtown to shop, and creating breastfeeding-friendly places right in their own community is another way to enhance the customer experience.”

Members of the CKL Breastfeeding Coalition will be promoting the We Support Breastfeeding campaign at the Lindsay Farmers’ Market on Saturday, September 30, from 7 am to 1 pm. The promotional launch coincides with the start of World Breastfeeding Week (October 1 to 7).

For more information about the coalition, or to learn more about breastfeeding support services and resources, call the local Health Unit at (705) 324-3569 or visit www.hkpr.on.ca. More information about breastfeeding is also available on Facebook (www.facebook.com/BreastfeedingAnyPlaceAnyTime).

 

 

 

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Pamela Vanmeer
Pamela Vanmeerhttps://www.kawartha411.ca/
Pamela VanMeer is a two time winner of the prestigious Radio Television Digital News Association (RTDNA) Award. Her investigative reports on abuse in Long Term Care Homes garnered international attention for the issue and won the Ron Laidlaw Award. She is a former reporter and anchor at CHEX News, now Global Peterborough and helped launch the New CHEX Daily, a daily half hour talk show. While at CHCH News in Hamilton she covered some of the biggest news stories of the day.

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