BREASTFEEDING BABY WITHOUT SHOWING HER BOOBS.

Like most blokes, you’ll flinch at the thought of your girl whipping out her boobs (your boobs!) in front of other people. Add in the possibility that those other people could be your mates or your dad and you’re stomping round the room pounding your chest. Well, there’s no need to panic. There are lots of ways she can make sure your baby  gets a mouthful, without giving your mates an eyeful.

It’s as simple as wearing the right clothes and using the right positions. There’s a leaflet available devoted to this topic. And because she’s probably worried about it as well, you could score some serious brownie points by picking one up for her. Ask your midwife or ring Salford Family Information Service on 0800 195 5565.

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1. EASY AND CONVENIENT
Breastfeeding doesn’t need preparing. The milk is good to go at any time and delivered at exactly the right temperature.

2. COMPLETELY FREE
It’s free… and formula is expensive.

3. ON TAP, ON DEMAND
You’ll never run out. Baby’s never without an instant meal and there’ll be no middle of the night panic runs to the 24-hour garage.

4. FITTER, STRONGER BABY
Breastfed babies grow up fitter and stronger and are less likely to get ill. Fact! Your partner’s milk contains all the goodness your baby needs. It will reduce the risk of your baby developing allergies, tummy upsets and infections and will make them less likely to become obese as adults. Breast milk also passes on the mother’s immunity to certain diseases.

5. HEALTHIER MUM
By breastfeeding, your partner could be protecting herself against breast cancer, ovarian cancer and weak bones in later life.

6. HAPPIER MUM
Although breastfeeding can be difficult at times, if you support her as much as you can, she will feel fantastic—more confident, more relaxed, more sexy!

7. NO MESSING
No measuring powder. No sterilising bottles. No boiling kettles in the middle of the night. No checking temperature…

8. LESS PONG
Breastfed babies’ nappies don’t smell as bad. Breastfed babies produce poo that smells almost sweet, when compared to formula-fed babies!

9. BRAINIER BABY
Some studies suggest that breastfeeding may positively affect a baby’s brain development and IQ.

10. INSTANT BENEFIT
Breastfeeding makes a difference to your baby’s health and development from day one.

BLOWING THE HORN! ON SOME COMMON BREASTFEEDING MYTHS.

I LOVE HER BOOBS. THEY’LL SAG IF SHE BREASTFEEDS.
There’s little connection between breastfeeding and saggy boobs. The pregnancy itself could cause some sagging and smoking doesn’t help, but breastfeeding is in the clear!

SHE WON’T BE ABLE TO EAT OR DRINK WHAT SHE WANTS.
There’s nothing she has to avoid eating or drinking, as long as she has a sensible, balanced diet. Too much alcohol isn’t a good idea, but the odd tipple will do no harm.

SHE’S SMALL AND PERKY. SHE MIGHT NOT MAKE ENOUGH MILK.
Complete and utter rubbish. As far as your baby is concerned, size is irrelevant.

BREASTFEEDING IS MORE HASSLE THAN BOTTLEFEEDING.
Buying formula, sterilising bottles, measuring powder, boiling the kettle, checking the temperature… all in the middle of the night. Are you kidding!?

I WON’T BOND WITH THE BABY.
Breastfeeding is only one way to bond with your baby—there are lots of others. See the next edition of The Star for a full run down of these.

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EXCLUSIVE
Breastfeeding couples are up to £1700 better off per year than those who choose to bottle feed. Whilst the health benefits of breastfeeding are widely known, the financial perks are often overlooked.

MOUNTING COSTS
The cost of bottles, formula milk and sterilising equipment can mount up to a whopping £620.00 per year—the equivalent of a family holiday every year and enough to buy your baby a brand new outfit every week!

GREEN MILK
Breastfeeding is also better for the environment. The manufacture, transport and packaging of formula milk results in huge carbon dioxide emissions and thousands of tonnes of waste.

Breastfeeding information and support

Voluntary Action Barnsley
Breastfeeding Link Workers: provide support and information for breastfeeding families.
Tel: 01226 320 100
Tel: 07853 893 430 (Ruth)

Text ‘Be A Star’ to 07950 08 08 06*
Or visit: vabarnsley.org.uk

BIBS
Breastfeeding support and training for groups and individuals.
Tel: 01226 215 180
Tel: 07877 426 486
Or visit: barnsleybibs.info

National Breastfeeding Helpline
Calls are answered locally by trained mothers.
9.30am - 9.30pm
Tel: 0300 100 0212
Or visit: breastfeeding.nhs.uk

Children’s Centres

All Saints Children’s Centre, Darfield
Wednesday 12-2pm
Tel: 01226 753 366 & 07920 781 910

Buddies Children’s Centre, Town Centre
Tuesday 11-12am
Tel: 01226 320 510

Buttercup Children’s Centre, Cudworth
Wednesdays 9.30 - 11.30
Tel: 01226 780 105

Darton Children’s Centre
Council Offices
Family Support Room
Huddersfield Road
Darton
Wednesday 11.30-1pm
Tel: 01226 320 108

Dearne Community Children’s Centre, Bolton-on-Dearne
Friday 10am-12noon
Tel: 01709 890 303

Dodworth and Gilroyd Children’s Centre
Saville Road
Gilroyd
Barnsley
S75 3QB
Monday 1-2.30pm
Tel: 01226 294 584

Embankment Children’s Centre
Station Rd
Thurnscoe
Wednesday 10.30-12.30pm
Tel: 01709 899 050

Hoyland Common Children’s Centre
Wednesday 1.30-3pm
Tel: 01226 352 090

King’s Oak Children’s Centre, Wombwell
Wednesday 9.30-10.30am
Tel: 01226 273 240

Lundwood Children’s Centre, Littleworth Lane
Wednesday 11-1pm
Tel: 01226 248 564

Milefield Children’s Centre, Grimethorpe
Wednesday 9.30-11.30am
Tel: 01226 715 127

NCT Coffee & Play
The Bluebell Inn
Dodworth
Monday 9.30 - 11.30am
Tel: 01226 786188

Rising Stars Children’s Centre, Bruce Avenue
C/o Worsbrough Common Primary School
Thursday 1-2.30pm
Tel: 01226 320 513

Sunnybank Children’s Centre, Worsbrough Dale
Thursday 10-12 noon
Tel: 01226 294 604 

Wilthorpe Children’s Centre, Greenfoot Lane
Thursday 1-3pm
Tel: 01226 298 642

Penistone Children’s Centre
Resource Centre
Church Street
Tuesday 10am -12 noon

Royston Meadstead Children’s Centre
Friday 1-3pm
Tel: 01226 722 153 or 07853 367 304

Secret Garden Children’s Centre, Athersley
Thursday 12noon-3pm
Tel: 01226 296 969

Helpful numbers

FRANK
Advice and information on drugs and alcohol related issues.
Tel: 0800 776 600
Or visit: talktofrank.com

NHS Stop Smoking Services
Tel: 0800 169 0 169

NHS Pregnancy Smoking Helpline
Tel: 0800 169 9 169

Home Start
Support to parents or carers with children under 5.
Tel: 01226 245 985

Pathway Domestic Abuse
Tel: 01226 731 812

Connexions
Young parent support.
Tel: 01226 205 686

Brook Advisory Service
Free and confidential advice and contraception.
Tel: 0800 185 023

Local Support

Teenage Pregnancy Midwife
Tel: 07909 536 998

Barnsley Stop Smoking Service
Tel: 01226 288 540

Lone Parent Project
Tel: 01226 729 580

Victim Support Barnsley
Tel: 01226 243 761

Barnsley College
Tel: 01226 216 216

Education Coordinator for pregnant schoolgirls
Tel: 07786 525 742

Care to Learn Helpline
Tel: 0845 600 2 809

Housing Advice
Tel: 01226 773 870

Barnsley Refuge
Tel: 07786 276 704
Tel: 07721 729 591 (out of hours)

Barnsley School Nurses
Tel: 01226 433 1308

GUMed
Sexual health advice.
Tel: 01226 730 011

JusTeens
Young Peoples Sexual Health Clinic, offering emergency contraception and the C Card condom scheme.
Tel: 01226 249 949

The Barn
Drug and Alcohol Services.
Tel: 01226 280 532
Or visit: barnypp.org.uk

* Texts are charged at standard network operators text rate and will be answered by experienced Breastfeeding Link Workers at Voluntary Action Barnsley.

THE BE A STAR BREASTFEEDING CAMPAIGN

Be A Star is a social marketing campaign that promotes breastfeeding amongst young women by celebrating mothers who breastfeed as ‘stars’, whilst supporting them through the breastfeeding process, via peer support and improved understanding and acceptance of breastfeeding within the community.

The ‘stars’ of the campaign are real, local breastfeeding mums, styled to look like models, celebrities, singers and actresses. These real mums are demonstrating to their communities the pride, confidence and beauty that breastfeeding can bring — presenting breastfeeding as something that is appealing to other young mums and mums-to-be.

The campaign first launched in Central Lancashire in March 2008, and has now been adopted by a total of 15 PCTs throughout England, achieving some fantastic results for these PCTs in encouraging more young women to breastfeed.

Research was conducted with young mums across England and showed us that decisions on how to feed their baby was strongly influenced by the attitudes and opinions of those close to them. As a result, the campaign also considers the key influencers in the young mum’s lives — including their parents, their partners, their friends and, of course, their baby.

In order to promote the campaign, a number of community materials have been produced, including:

• Posters — displayed throughout the community, in doctors surgeries, hospitals, libraries and Sure Start centres (to name but a few). Starring real local breastfeeding mothers and babies, used to promote the campaign and signpost mums and mums-to-be to local and national support services
• Leaflets — containing hints, tips and clear advice about breastfeeding including how to breastfeed discretely, and comfortably, in public. These leaflets also signpost to local support groups and services in the local areas.
• The Be A Star Blog — (but you knew that already we guess!) featuring news articles, advice about breastfeeding, local support information and new additions to the Be A Star campaign gallery
• Local radio and outdoor advertising — in key areas where our young mums are likely to see or hear the messages, such as in shopping centres or inside buses.
• Newspapers for dads-to-be and new dads— designed and written specifically for the partners of our young mums. Containing key facts and information about how they can support new mums whilst breastfeeding and hints and tips on how else to bond with the baby other than by bottle-feeding.
• Community engagement pack — has been developed to support PCTs in engaging local retailers, cafés and community venues to become breastfeeding friendly.

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We have posted examples of the materials listed above for you to view (but please don’t print them). Click on the thumbnails below to enlarge images.

Community poster (A4, A3 and A2)

   
Pregnancy booklet

   
Discrete feeding booklet

   
Ante-natal tabloid newspaper

   
Post-natal tabloid newspaper

Breastfeeding is an amazing achievement! Not just for babies who benefit from the nutrients contained in real baby milk, but also for their mums, partners and families. The Be a Star campaign is dedicated to increasing the number of young mums who choose to breastfeed.

SHOW YOUR SUPPORT
You can now show your support, passion and commitment to breastfeeding to friends on Twitter with our Be A Star Twibbon!

Click on the button below to add our badge to your Twitter profile picture.

EXCLUSIVE
A revolutionary new breastfeeding campaign is set to make stars of a group of young mums from Salford. The Be A Star campaign has been launched to inspire young mums and their partners to breastfeed their babies. The campaign features stunning shots of real Salford mums appearing in celebrity roles whilst feeding their babies.

THE GIRLS
The posters will be seen across the city and are backed up by a wide range of support services. Charissa, 25, Kelly, 21, Kylie, 20 and Claire, 23—all from Salford—take centre stage in a campaign that has achieved dramatic results in other areas across the region.

THE CONCEPT
The concept has been developed to give young mothers the confidence to breastfeed in the face of negative attitudes from friends, family and the wider community. Magda Sachs, Infant Feeding Coordinator at NHS Salford, explained. “Even though breastfeeding gives a baby the best possible start it can be a real challenge to overcome these negative opinions. It’s because of this that young mums who breastfeed are the real stars.”

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22 year-old Paul Wegener is the partner of Kylie, (pictured above) and proud dad to 9 month-old Kyran. Despite having difficulties, Kylie was committed to feeding Kyran with her own milk and relied on Paul’s constant support.

WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING A DAD?
I can’t put it into words. Just the best thing ever. It turned my life upside down but I wouldn’t change it for the world.

HOW DID YOU FEEL WHEN YOU FOUND OUT KYLIE WAS PREGNANT?
I just started crying­—I was over the moon. I always wanted to be a dad so I thought it was brilliant.

DID YOU TALK ABOUT BREASTFEEDING WHEN SHE WAS PREGNANT?
I didn’t really think of the idea myself. But when we found out she was pregnant Kylie thought it was the right thing to do. To be honest I just went along with it. It was a bit weird at first but then I went through all the leaflets and realised it’s just the best thing for the baby. Then it just became the natural thing to do—completely normal.

WHAT’S THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE IN BECOMING A DAD?
Knowing what’s wrong when he cries. Is it his bum, is he hungry…It took a while to work it out but then you start to realise what the different cries mean. He’s been really good, he’ll have a little cry to let us know that he’s hungry, but because he’s breastfed it’s on demand and he soon calms down.

WHAT WAS YOUR ROLE IN SUPPORTING KYLIE TO BREASTFEED?
Sometimes it’s just the practical stuff. Taking the weight of the baby, holding him up to the breast if she was feeling tired. At other times it’s giving the encouragement and support she needs. She had a lot of problems with feeding and we came close to giving up a couple of times. I just did everything I could to help her carry on because I knew it was the best thing for Kyran.

DO YOU THINK THAT BREASTFEEDING HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE TO KYRAN?
Definitely. He seems a lot smarter than babies I know that are on formula. He doesn’t cry as much and doesn’t mind being passed around. He seems more independent.

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER BLOKES WHO WANT TO SUPPORT THEIR PARTNERS TO BREASTFEED?
Just support her as much as you can and remember that it’s the best thing for the baby. It’s easier for the dad than the mum—you need to understand their needs and support them through it.

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IT’S OFFICIAL
Doctors around the world are in total agreement: breastfed babies grow up fitter and stronger than those who are bottle fed. A massive amount of scientific evidence now makes it clear: Breastfed babies have a lower risk of tummy upsets, childhood diabetes, urine and ear infections and eczema. They’re also less likely to become obese and may even be smarter as a result.

There’s benefits for mum too. She’s at less risk of developing breast cancer and ovarian cancer. And—one for the lads—she gets her figure back sooner! As well as the health benefits, millions of mums and dads testify to the lifestyle benefits of breastfeeding: it’s convenient, completely free and creates a bond between the entire family.

DADS SPEAK UP
Tim Cooke, 29 from Swinton said: “I read all the leaflets and it was obvious that breastfeeding was the best thing for the baby. We talked about it a lot and when my partner was about 6 months pregnant, we made the decision to go for it.”

With dads getting more involved in these decisions from early in the pregnancy, an increasing number of babies are set to grow up fitter and stronger simply because they are breastfed.