Birmingham Forward Steps are launching a new Breastfeeding Welcome scheme ‘Birmingham Welcomes Breastfeeding’ so that breastfeeding mothers can feel confident to feed when out and about in Birmingham. Any establishment displaying the Birmingham Welcomes Breastfeeding sticker/poster/logo has signed up to the scheme to support mothers to feel welcome to breastfeed on their premises and reassure them that their feeding choices will be respected.

How does the scheme help mothers to breastfeed?

ü  When a mother sees the Birmingham Welcomes Breastfeeding sticker/poster/logo displayed, then she knows that the establishment will be supportive of her right to breastfeed her baby on their premises – The mother will not be asked to move, cover up, or stop feeding her baby. 

ü  The scheme raises the profile of breastfeeding and normalises breastfeeding, with the aim of encouraging more mothers and other women to breastfeed in the future. 

ü  The scheme ensures businesses, and their staff members, are aware of the law that protects breastfeeding in public. In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 states that it is unlawful for a business (such as a cafe or sports centre) to discriminate, harass or victimise a woman because she is breastfeeding a child, of any age. Mothers can breastfeed in any public space in the UK, such as parks and shopping centres. In fact the only exceptions are if the request to move, cover up or stop breastfeeding is due to a legitimate health or safety risk (for example, where there is a chemical hazard) or if a ‘single sex’ service for men object to women being there and breastfeeding (for example, voluntary groups/charities set up specifically to benefit men or religious organisations which offer services to men only in line with the doctrines of their religion). In Scotland, breastfeeding is further protected by the Breastfeeding Act 2005, where it is now a criminal act to try to stop a woman breastfeeding a child under 2 in public.