Breastfeeding in public: a campaign surprising in Ontario

QMI agency

Saturday, 15 July 2017 14:52

UPDATE
Saturday, 15 July 2017 14:52

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TIMMINS, Ontario | The Office of health of the city of Timmins, Ontario, has launched a campaign quite unusual to promote and advocate for breastfeeding in public.

Reproductions grandeur nature, on panels, representative of the mothers from the community in the process of breastfeed their child, have been scattered to the four corners of the city.

Spotted our Breastfeeding Moms yet? PHU launches #BreastfeedingInPublic at #Timmins #UrbanPark. https://t.co/ku5UMjOEM6 pic.twitter.com/CpVvGKXLoE

— Porcupine HealthUnit (@PorcupineHU) July 13, 2017

The campaign aims to remind people that breastfeeding is natural and healthy. It also aims to dispel women’s anxiety related to breastfeeding their child in public.

“We want mothers to be fully aware of their right to breastfeed in public, which means that they can do it anywhere, anytime, without being asked to cover,” said the nurse Meagan Potvin, the Porcupine health unit, in an interview with CBC News.

According to the data collected by the agency, only 60% of new mothers in north-eastern Ontario choose to breastfeed.

Ms. Potvin explained that many mothers stop breastfeeding their newborn after the first few weeks. She believes that it is in part because they are embarrassed at the idea of breastfeeding in public.

“In the community, there’s this misconception that when women are breastfeeding, you see everything, which really isn’t the case most of the time”, she added.