Credit: This is Local London
All Saints Church in Edmonton has signed on to be the first church in the UK to promote Enfield’s Breastfeeding Friendly Business.
Reverend (Revd.) Stuart Owen said he was eager to welcome this initiative as a way to promote breastfeeding anywhere mom and baby are welcome:
“When we saw the opportunity come up I was delighted to put this to the church committee as something we can really promote.” He told the Enfield Independent. “Although I’m sure many places of worship are, in practice, ‘breastfeeding-friendly’, I’d imagine that many Mums might well feel more self-conscious about breastfeeding in a church than in their local café.”
“Churches should be places with children at their heart, and places where people come to be nourished and nurtured, and joining this scheme is a simple, practical way of affirming that- This is one of the most natural things in the world, and it is baffling that anyone could think otherwise.”
Revd. Owen said the policy was very well received:
“When we announced the new scheme, it was met with a round of applause which was fantastic. You never know how people are going to react to something like this.”
Congregant and mother of two, Nadine Wills, told the Enfield Independent,“It is great news that the church is publicly promoting this. We don’t want breastfeeding to not feel natural anymore and having somewhere like a church encouraging this is good.”
Emma Chapman followed up by commenting on the breastfeeding stigma that has long been discussed in church gatherings:
“I felt so conscious breastfeeding while out and about that I used to hide in the car and get my husband to hang jumpers in the window to hide me. I’d have been a lot less worried if I knew somewhere was breastfeeding friendly and I didn’t have to worry about disapproving looks.”
The breastfeeding policy has been added to the All Saints Church, Edmonton, North London website:
“Breastfeeding Friendly:
In March 2014, All Saints became the first place of worship in the London Borough of Enfield to join the Borough’s ‘Breastfeeding-Friendly Business’ scheme. As members of the scheme, we have made the following commitments:
Mums can breastfeed in all areas that are open to the public.
A breastfeeding mum will not be asked to move to another area or stop breastfeeding.
Mums will never be asked to use the ladies toilets for breastfeeding.
All staff members, full and part time, are made aware that we are a member of the scheme.
We will display our ‘breastfeeding welcome’ sticker and membership certificate somewhere obvious on our premises.
We agree to be reviewed occasionally by local breastfeeding mums.”
