Businesses were asked to join Jersey Breastfeeds initiative in July 2023. In a bid to boost breastfeeding spaces for Jersey mums.

In a joint initiative between Government and Family Nursing and Home Care to make Jersey more breastfeeding friendly, businesses were asked to join the Jersey Breastfeeds initiative and commit to offering baby changing facilities and comfortable spaces for mothers to breastfeed their children.

Anyone with a new baby will likely experience the dread of that first trip into town with their newborn... will baby need feeding, have an explosive nappy, start crying and so on... and where can they go to change and feed baby when the need arises, which is often just as they arrive in town! 

I was very excited to read of the The Jersey Breastfeeds initiate which was launched as part of Breastfeeding Awareness week in August 2023. During this time, I took the time to visit businesses in St Helier myself to ask if they already provided a service for women to sit quietly and breastfeed. At that time only a few did. In fact that tended to be the smaller businesses. I was surprised that one of the main department stores in town did not have a protocol in place should a woman ask to breastfeed, however all the staff I spoke to in the store were keen to support women should they ask, including the cafes within the store.

St Helier Town Hall, have gone one step further and provided an excellent Family room, quiet and comfortable space for women and/or families  to drop by as a pit stop or to breast or bottle feed their baby with changing facilities included and a fully accessible toilet.  I signpost many of  the new mums I am supporting to this room when they are making those first trips into town with their new baby. The mums I have supported who have used St Helier Town Hall report that being able to easily access this safe dedicated feeding space in town has been invaluable, many have made it their first stop after driving or taking the bus into town and often the last stop after a shopping trip before going home. Well done St Helier Town Hall!

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