The local health unit is marking National Breastfeeding week by placing life sized cutouts of parents breastfeeding throughout the district.
According to the North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit, this year’s focus falls on supporting breastfeeding in the workplace.
The cutouts, falling under this year’s theme of Making a Difference for Working Parent, have multiple purposes according to Beryl Cotterall, Public Health Nurse in the Health Unit’s Healthy Families program.
“To increase breastfeeding visibility, get people talking about breastfeeding, and to show our support as a community for breastfeeding parents in the workplace,” Cotterall says
Health Unit officials say according to provincial data, many families initiate breastfeeding after birth but do not reach their breastfeeding goals because they feel uncomfortable breastfeeding in public, at work or school, or they may not know where to get appropriate support.
They add those goals are more likely to be reached with support.
In Ontario, pregnant and breastfeeding parents are protected from discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Commission. This includes the right to be accommodated when a breastfeeding parent returns to work so that parents can continue to breastfeed.
The health unit encourages local businesses to learn about and implement the supports necessary so breastfeeding staff can feel comfortable nourishing their young ones while working.