Breastfeeding makes good business sense

Siobhan O’Loughlin (left) with Val Finigan (right)

A pioneering infant feeding advisor is urging Rochdale companies to back breastfeeding – and reap the business benefits.

Val Finigan works for the Pennine Acute Trust, which runs Rochdale Infirmary and the hospitals in Bury, Oldham and North Manchester.

Ms Finigan, the Trust’s infant feeding co-ordinator, is using National Breastfeeding Awareness Week to launch a campaign aimed at encouraging Rochdale businesses to give more support to breastfeeding mothers.

She said: “We all know the health benefits which breastfeeding brings. Now we need to convince businesses that backing breastfeeding among both their staff and their customers will bring them business benefits.

“From the point of view of your staff, it can facilitate the return to work of new mums who want to breastfeed.

“From the point of views of companies in the leisure and food/drink trades, such as restaurants and cafes, then creating an atmosphere where breastfeeding mums feel welcome means that they are more likely to spend their money with you.

“I can assure any traders that word about good places to go out for a coffee or lunch soon spreads – and that means even more business.”

Ms Finigan has recently produced a guide aimed at helping employers support their staff, and is now planning to supplement this by writing to cafés, restaurants and other outlets to encourage them to support breastfeeding mums. Displays about breastfeeding are taking place throughout the week at each of the hospitals.

Ms Finigan added: “We’ll be listing supportive businesses in the information packs which we issue to new mothers. With 10,000 births a year across the four hospitals run by Pennine Acute Trust, that’s a great way of highlighting where breastfeeding mums will be welcome.”

Ms Finigan has recruited some high profile help to launch the campaign – Manchester’s Miss GB finalist Siobhan O’Loughlin joined forces with her to launch this year’s scheme.

Ms Finigan and Ms O’Loughlin are also joining a lobby of Parliament on Wednesday, 16 May, marking the launch of the Breastfeeding Manifesto, a seven-point plan to improve breastfeeding rates, which includes working with employers to generate support for breastfeeding mothers, and supporting women who want to breastfeed in public places.

Breastfeeding benefits to babies include:

• Perfect nutrition for the first six months.
• Helping protect them against stomach bugs and chest infections.
• Cutting the chance of being overweight in later childhood. 

Benefits to mums who breastfeed include:

• Weight loss.
• Making it easier for their wombs to return to normal.
• Reducing the risk of pre-menopausal breast and ovarian cancer.