Breastfeeding: Good for baby and mother
We’re Breastfeeding Friendly is good for your business, community and organisation, as well as being good for baby and mother.
Breastfeeding: Good for baby and mother
Breastfeeding helps babies and young children grow and keep healthy.
The World Health Organisation says it is best to feed babies only breastmilk for the first 6 months. After that, you can give solid food as well as breastmilk until the child is 2 years old or more.
Breastmilk has everything a baby needs to grow. It also helps protect babies from getting sick and supports their brain development.
New research shows that breastmilk helps to build a healthy tummy (gut), which can protect children from illness later in life.
Breastfeeding is good for mothers too. It is linked to lowering the risk of breast cancer and ovarian cancer. It also helps mothers return to a healthy weight after having a baby and may lower the chance of getting obesity or diabetes later.
The longer a mother breastfeeds, the more health benefits there are for both baby and mother.
Breastfeeding is free for families.
Breastfeeding: Good for Workplace and Business
When workplaces support mothers coming back to work, it helps them feel better and makes the change easier. This support helps mothers to keep breastfeeding for longer, which is good for their babies and themselves.
Workplaces also benefit. Babies who are breastfed usually get sick less often. This means parents may need to take fewer days off work.
Customers also like to support businesses that care about people and the community. Helping breastfeeding mothers shows that your business is caring and responsible. This can make customers more loyal and may bring in new ones.
Supporting breastfeeding doesn’t cost much and is easy to do.
If your business or group joins the We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Kerry campaign, you will be promoted on different websites and social media.
This can help more people know about your business and see you as a family-friendly and caring place.
Breastfeeding: Good for the Community
Breastfeeding helps babies and mothers stay healthier. This means fewer visits to the doctor and fewer health problems. Because of this, it helps to reduce pressure on the health system.
Breastfeeding is also good for the environment. It creates no waste and supports a more sustainable way of living.
When a community supports breastfeeding, it becomes more family friendly. Mothers feel welcome and more comfortable to breastfeed in public. This helps make breastfeeding a normal and positive part of life.
85.3% of mothers in Kerry were breastfeeding at the time of the first public health nurse visit in 2023 — one of the highest rates in Ireland. We’re Breastfeeding Friendly Kerry aims to build on that success. It seeks to support mothers to continue breastfeeding for longer, when returning to work or out and about.
