Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk

The Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk scheme recognises that every family should feel welcomed and supported to feed their infant in public:

• At anytime and anywhere
• In whichever way they choose

Why we started the scheme

The World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that babies are exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. This is because it provides significant health benefits for both mother and baby.

The UK has some of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world. Public Health England has recorded the following data:

• 74% of mothers start to breastfeed
• 44% are breastfeeding at 6 weeks
• 36% are breastfeeding at 6 months
• Only 1% of babies are exclusively breastfed until they are 6 months old

By law, women have the right to breastfeed their baby in any public place. Despite this, many women feel nervous about feeding when they're out and about. They don't always receive the support from others to feed with confidence. 

No matter which feeding method(s) a family uses, getting out and about with a baby can be a daunting task. We want all parents with infants to feel able and comfortable to visit venues in Norfolk. By parents we mean mums, dads, and carers.

In our recent survey, we asked about infant feeding in public. We wanted to find out what made families feel more comfortable and able to:

• Breastfeed
• Express breastmilk
• Formula feed

They told us the best spaces are those with a friendly smile and welcome. They also valued a space that other families felt comfortable to use. 

Requirements when joining the scheme

• Ensure the Infant Feeding Friendly window sticker and pledge clearly displayed. This will show all visitors that you welcome and support infant feeding at your venue
• Provide a comfortable space for parents and carers to feed their infant
• Make sure that all staff members are aware of the scheme
• Where possible, ensure that staff can support a parent to feed their infant with more privacy if requested. Toilets and baby changing facilities are not appropriate spaces to feed in.

Other ways businesses, organisations and venues can support families

• Ask if there is anything that the parent or carer needs
• Offer of a glass of water for the parent who is feeding an infant
• Carry food and drink items over to where the parent is sitting
• Have easy access into the premises and a suitable place to park the pushchair
• Provide baby changing facilities in disabled toilets and/or both male and female toilets
• Provide high chairs
• Provide a play area for older children to keep busy in or the offer of colouring resources
• Promote the scheme on a business' website and/or social media
• Enable parents and carers to feed their infant without the need to buy anything
   

Who can join the scheme

Businesses, organisations and venues across Norfolk can sign up to the scheme. The scheme is open to any venue that welcomes the public. We encourage you to sign up if visitors to your business, organisation, or venue may feed their infant on your premises. This includes commercial, health and community settings. For example:

• Restaurants or cafes
• Schools or nurseries
• Leisure centres
• Libraries
• Community centres
• Parks and museums
• Health centres or GP practices
• Hairdressers, opticians or dentists
• High street shops

To sign up, you will need to make a pledge to provide Infant Feeding Friendly spaces for families. You may: 

• Already provide welcoming infant feeding friendly environments
• Want to improve your spaces for families

What the scheme includes 

The Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk (IFFN) scheme provides: 

• A window sticker and pledge certificate to put on display    
• An infant feeding policy template  
• A listing on the Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk locator map  
• Training materials to support with staff training

Download our Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk guide for businesses, organisations and venues. (PDF) [12MB] 

Benefits of joining the scheme 

• There is no cost to join the scheme
• It may attract new and repeating customers
• We promote and publicise Infant Feeding Friendly members through the Norfolk Community Directory
• Members are supporting their local communities and contributing to improving public health 
• There is the opportunity to improve customer relations
• Mothers are part of informal networks and will often recommend places to visit to others

How to join the scheme 

Complete our Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk registration form to apply for the scheme. You can find a link to the form at the bottom of this page.

Once you have completed the form:

• We will email you to confirm we have registered you to the scheme
• You will need to:
  • Ensure there is an infant feeding policy in place in your business or organisation. This must be accessible to all members of staff. We will include an infant feeding policy template in our confirmation email
  • Choose where to collect your scheme pack from

You can collect your scheme pack from:

• Any of Norfolk's family hubs
• One of the following libraries: 
  • Acle Library
  • Attleborough Library
  • Aylsham Library
  • Caister Library
  • Cromer Library
  • Dereham Library
  • Downham Market Library
  • Earlham Library
  • Fakenham Library
  • Great Yarmouth Library
  • Hunstanton Library
  • King's Lynn Library
  • Loddon Library
  • Sprowston Library
  • Watton Library
  • Wroxham Library
  • Wymondham Library

You can contact IFFN@norfolk.gov.uk if you need further information or any assistance with joining the scheme. Read our privacy notice to find out how we use your personal information.

Sign up to the IFFN scheme

We keep a list of businesses, organisations and venues which are already Infant Feeding Friendly. Here you can find out where they are in Norfolk, the type of venue, and the facilities that they provide. View the Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk locator map on the Norfolk Community Directory. 

Your breastfeeding rights

In England, the Equality Act 2010 protects breastfeeding mothers. This is a law which bans unfair treatment. It states that it is sex discrimination to treat a woman less favourably because she is breastfeeding. You must not be asked to cover up, move or stop breastfeeding. This applies to anyone providing services, benefits, facilities and premises to the public. It also applies to those who deal directly with the public. 

All venues in the Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk scheme have access to training. The training covers information about the laws around breastfeeding. This helps ensure staff members know how to support breastfeeding in public.

• Visit Just One Norfolk for information on breastfeeding in public 
• Maternity Action provides information on the laws around breastfeeding while out and about

Tips for feeding in public 

You might feel more confident and comfortable to breastfeed in public by: 

• Taking along a close friend or family member 
• Considering which clothing might make breastfeeding easier for you
• Planning ahead so you have an idea of where you might feed your infant
• Look out for venues displaying the Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk sticker. Alternatively, you can look in advance by visiting the Infant Feeding Friendly Norfolk locator map. 

The NHS provides useful tips for breastfeeding in public. 

The Just One Norfolk website provides helpful information on infant feeding in public. Here you can also find further links to infant feeding support and other useful pages.
 

Does it cost anything to join the scheme? 

No, it is free to sign up to the scheme. 

Do all staff members need to complete training?

We can provide training materials, digitally, as part of the scheme. We ask that you offer this training to staff members who are supporting families on the premises.

Do we have to provide a private room? 

A private room is not compulsory. Most parents will feed anywhere, as long as they have somewhere to sit. Some may prefer a more private or quiet spot for their comfort or their baby's needs. It is therefore helpful to try and support this request where you can. You should never tell people who are breastfeeding that they must use a private space or room.

What do I do if another customers complains about infant feeding? 

The law in England, Scotland and Wales (under the Equality Act 2010) ensures that a mother cannot be stopped from breastfeeding or bottle feeding her baby in a place that she is legally allowed to be. If someone asks you to tell a mother to stop feeding their child then you could:

• Show them the infant feeding policy scheme or sticker
• Show them the pledge certificate on display
• Ask them whether they want to move to sit somewhere else, if this is possible

You must not ask the mother who is breastfeeding to move. 

Can I sign up to the scheme even if we don't have a seating area? 

Yes, definitely. Often all you need to feed an infant is a chair to sit on and to know you're welcome to use that space.