'Breastfeeding welcome' signs to help mums feel more comfortable

"Even though you know you have the legal right to breastfeed anywhere, I don't think that's particularly well-known and some people are uncomfortable seeing it."

Stacey Murray, a mother of two, said breastfeeding in public could make some mothers feel uncomfortable.

The 44-year-old, from Belper in Derbyshire, said "breastfeeding welcome here" signs being put up by Derby City Council in its green spaces as part of World Breastfeeding Week would give mothers a "little bit of extra confidence that it is welcomed in the space".

Other events, including a picnic at Bolsover Castle, have also been organised by Breastfeeding Network Derbyshire as part of the week, which runs until Friday.

Stacey said she was hit by several challenges with her first baby and described it as "a disaster all-round really in terms of feeding", adding that the support she received from breastfeeding groups was "vital".

She is now a breastfeeding peer supporter for the Breastfeeding Network as well as for Bears (Breastfeeding Experience, Assistance and Reassuring Support) in Amber Valley.

Stacey said her second baby, who is now 15 months old, had a tongue tie, which could cause difficulties with breastfeeding.

"It wasn't very obvious so wasn't picked up by any of the staff, the midwife or the hospital team," Stacey said.

"But with everything that I went through with my first and the knowledge I have now I've trained as a breastfeeding supporter, I knew something wasn't right.

"So we got that tongue tie snipped, which then started to get things back on track.

"It went a lot more smoothly this time and was a lot less stressful because I knew who to go to for that support."

Sarah-Jane Akhter, who breastfed her 12 and eight-year-old and currently feeds her two-year-old, said she had even resorted to feeding in a toilet as she felt self-conscious.

"Even though I volunteer at Breastfeeding Network, I've just been to a play centre and I'm still conscious that I'm breastfeeding in public so I go in a corner and turn my back to everybody," she said. "I have done it in the toilet as well.

"It's awful. It's just other people's opinions. Especially now because he is a toddler, you get the stigma of 'oh, why are you still feeding him?'

"You get stigma to feed in the first place, but then as you get older you still get stigma. It's terrible really."

The 45-year-old, from Chesterfield, added the breastfeeding welcome signs were a positive step forward.

Osmaston Park has become the first council-managed park where a sign has been installed, and the rest will be added when welcome boards are due to be replaced.

The city council's scheme was first launched in 2023, and 155 venues across Derby like shops, cafés, community venues have signed up.

Events will also take place across Derbyshire this week for families to celebrate and share their journeys, find out about free support and meet other parents.

The main event - a big picnic on Thursday at Bolsover Castle - will be followed by a get-together at Hilton Mease Pavilion on Friday.

UK government statistics from an Infant Feeding Survey 2024 - published in 2026 - found about 12% who had breastfed in a public place reported having been stopped or made to feel uncomfortable.

Unicef said the UK had some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world, with more than six out of 10 women stopping breastfeeding before they wanted to.

Its figures suggest the percentage of new mums exclusively breastfeeding in the UK drops, from 81% at birth to 24% after six weeks.

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