Friday June 29th 2018
SNP Councillor for Midlothian West, Kelly Parry, successfully raised a motion at the full council meeting this week to back improvements in breast feeding across Midlothian.
Councillor Parry said in support of her motion that since giving birth to her daughter four months ago she had had first hand experience of the facilities on offer in Midlothian.
Her motion called for the council to recognise
– the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and baby, as well as wider benefits on reducing health inequalities across Midlothian.
– that breastfeeding rates are poor in comparison to the rest of Scotland, and the UK, and recognises that Midlothian’s breastfeeding rates are significantly poorer in Midlothian’s most deprived area.
– the support from NHS Lothian already in place but also recognise that additional support to breastfeeding mothers, and influence on the wider community could be improved.
– that peer influence has a large part to play and agrees to implement a breastfeeding friendly scheme in all public Council facilities, as well as encouraging other business to opt in.
Councillor Parry paid particular tribute to the Breast Feeding Clinic at the Glencorse Centre, Cafe Nest, saying it was a shining example of what can be achieved.
The motion was fully supported by all eighteen councillors and the council officers will now report back to Council on measures already in place, and look to best practice across Scotland, and in areas of Midlothian with higher success rates as well as investigating barriers in least successful areas.
In a sign of progressiveness within the council, Councillor Parry’s motion was moved to the start of the meeting to enable her motion to be debated first so that she could then breastfeed her daughter in the council chamber whilst the meeting continued.
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