Study reveals that new mums are put off by breastfeeding in public
Study reveals that new mums are put off by breastfeeding in public, but maternal health brand Lansinoh is trying to change that
- Research released to help new mums feel confident feeding in public
- Lansinoh, breastfeeding & maternal health brand, reveals the top 10 UK shopping centres for breastfeeding mums
Recent articles have stated that breastfeeding mums are put off by the public, but Lansinoh want to help all mums feed with confidence which is why they recently named their 10 best shopping centres around the UK which supports breastfeeding mums.
Shopping with a baby can prove a challenging time for any new mum. In fact, research now shows that shopping centres have overtaken transport to become the most challenging place for UK mums to breastfeed. [1]
The brand analysed over 40 of the largest shopping centres in the UK, taking into account factors such as the number of breastfeeding areas and parenting facilities per visitors, the number of cafés per shops, and the accessibility of parenting services information on centre websites.
The top 10 UK shopping centres for breastfeeding mums were revealed as:
- Silverburn Centre, Glasgow
- Eden, Buckinghamshire
- White Rose Centre, Leeds
- Telford Shopping Centre, Telford
- Cabot Circus, Bristol
- Lakeside Shopping Centre, Essex
- Metrocentre, Gateshead
- Brent Cross, London
- Victoria Square, Belfast
- Queensgate, Peterborough
Lisa Craven, Marketing Manager at Lansinoh Laboratories UK Ltd, said: “We’re delighted to be able to recognise these shopping centres for their efforts in supporting new mums.
“At Lansinoh, we are committed to supporting mums to feed confidently, wherever they are, and as the UK has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world [2], we want to champion the public places where breastfeeding is encouraged and mums are made to feel comfortable. This ties in with our annual ‘Feed with Confidence’ awards, which we have been running since 2017, to encourage breastfeeding outside of the home and ultimately, to support mums to breastfeed for longer.
“Many new mums who have given birth recently may not have as much experience breastfeeding in public places, due to the pandemic. As rules relax and mums may be returning to shopping centres with their little ones, it can be daunting knowing where to go to breastfeed. It’s important that mums have access to comfortable breastfeeding facilities whilst doing their shopping, and just as importantly, that they know what these facilities are.
“Our research considers the main factors that we know are important to mums - designated breastfeeding areas, parenting facilities and cafés. Meanwhile, we know 79% of new mums say it’s important to know where they can breastfeed when shopping [3], so we felt it was crucial to also consider the ease of accessing this information online.
“We hope that the findings will help mums feel more confident whilst planning their shopping trips, and also encourage shopping centres across the UK to consider ways in which they can further support breastfeeding mums.”
Notes
[1] Lansinoh designed and commissioned the 2021 Breastfeeding survey, which reached 3,318 mothers through various channels and research agencies (Spain, Mexico, Chile, USA, UK, France, Germany, and Turkey). This report focused on mothers aged 18–45 who have breastfed or are currently breastfeeding.
[2] Breastfeeding in the 21st Century: epidemiology, mechanisms and lifelong effect’, The Lancet, 2016 http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(15)01024-7/abstract>
[3] Research conducted October 2021 from Lansinoh Instagram polls, surveying 197 new mums
