Breastfeeding Friendly Project
Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service's Breastfeeding Friendly accreditation project supports organisations and businesses to develop appropriate breastfeeding friendly environments for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
The accreditation project includes a policy, a staff training booklet and a signage component. The policy addresses provision of comfortable, supportive spaces, and undertaking appropriate milk storage methods (for early childood centres and kōhanga reo) as recommended by the Ministry of Health. The premises endorse the Breastfeeding Friendly policy by displaying signage that Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service provides (as shown above).
Breastfeeding Friendly accreditated places in the Bay of Plenty and Lakes regions:
If your business, early childhood centre, kōhanga reo, cafe, restaurant, mall or organisation would like to become Breastfeeding Friendly accreditated, please call Toi Te Ora - Public Health Service on 0800 221 555.
Background Information
In 2007 only 17% to 29% of mothers continued to breastfeed exclusively for 6 months (MOH, 2007). The Ministry of Health recommend exclusive breastfeeding until babies are around six months old, with continued breastfeeding along with appropriate complementary foods up to one year of age or beyond.
There are several reasons for the discontinuation of breastfeeding: returning to work, lack of knowledge around milk storage and people’s perception of breastfeeding. It is envisaged that the Breastfeeding Friendly accreditation program will counteract these barriers by introducing practical support to mothers, babies, staff and public throughout the Bay of Plenty and Lakes districts.
Research was undertaken in 2009 by Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service which set the scope for this project. Recommendations were developed to identify relevant support and action to increase the number of breastfeeding friendly spaces by:
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providing the opportunity for breastfeeding to be seen and accepted by wider society as the norm, as a result of exposure to breastfeeding within public spaces
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supporting the development of breastfeeding friendly policy
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providing training to increase the access to quality health information on the benefits of breastfeeding
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adopting and implementing of the recommended national breastfeeding guidelines
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working with Iwi and Māori health providers as well other agencies to raise awareness of breastfeeding
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