As part of the recent National Breastfeeding Awareness Week, Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust worked with Oldham Community Leisure (OCL) to ensure that breastfeeding mothers felt welcome and comfortable to breastfeed on their premises.

 OCL staff have been specially trained to ensure that breastfeeding mums feel more confident to go swimming or attend mother and baby swimming sessions. As well as benefiting baby, going swimming is a great way to socialise, help mums stay in shape and return to their pre-pregnancy weight.

 Joanne Mayall, Infant Feeding Specialist for Pennine Care , said: "When Oldham was accredited as being a Baby Friendly Town in 2010 with Unicef's Baby Friendly Initiati   ve, the award h  elped to raise awareness of breastfeeding in public. However, women still lack confidence to do so, even though the Equality Act offers protection against discrimination.

 "This initiative with OCL aims to make mums feel welcome and comfortable to breastfeed without criticism. This will hopefully have a knock-on effect of promoting acceptance of breastfeeding when out and about in the wider community."

  Photo: Joanne Mayall, Infant Feeding Specialist for Pennine Care and Anthony Pauls from OCL with mums