The local health authority has reversed their decision and confirmed that the Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe will remain open. It is a relief to know that this vital space for connection and support will continue to serve our community. Thank you for recognizing the importance of this work alongside me.
July 18, 2014
Final supporters
Please don't close our breastfeeding support group!
Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe is the flagship support group in Stoke-on-Trent. For over ten years it has helped families through any and all breastfeeding-related difficulties. It is relied upon by the women of Stoke-on-Trent and regularly has high attendance. It was announced recently that it will be closing at the end of the month, to be replaced by an appointment-only clinic. We who have received social, peer-to-peer support as well as professional advice at the face want it to continue.
Research shows that women value social support in helping them establish and continue breastfeeding [1]. The breastfeeding cafes and FAB groups across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire welcome women and their families before and after birth, offering them access to professional and social support for breastfeeding and other aspects of early parenting. These groups allow new mums to form friendships and help each other through difficulties. They are a lifeline for women who may feel isolated or may be suffering from poor mental health following the birth, and offer a vital opportunity for them to gain confidence breastfeeding in the presence of others. Many specific problems are often only identified and referred to the Infant Feeding Team after social conversation with other breastfeeding mothers. The groups are always busy and should be expanded to new times and new locations, not closed.
Support groups run across the area on other days, but there are no other groups on a Monday morning and the only other group on a Monday finishes at 3pm, which is problematic for women with older children to collect from school. Women frequently experience issues over a weekend and attend the Cobridge cafe to ask about them. These are often issues that the support of other mums can help with, or that they would not consider serious enough to require an appointment. If there are no appointments available women will be forced to wait, often in pain, and travel to a less convenient part of the city at a less convenient time. This will also cause the number of home visits required by the IFT will go up, increasing their already heavy workload.
The Cobridge cafe is in
a central, accessible location with good transport links and on-site
parking. It is the only support group in the same building as the
Infant Feeding Team office. This allows it to offer unique access to
quick referrals and hire equipment such as pumps and slings, which
are stored at the Cobridge office.
The Cobridge cafe
has an important role in informal breastfeeding support in the area
and it is frequently the first place suggested by friends, relatives
and other groups as a place to ask questions of other mums or IFT,
practice breastfeeding in public, and access the much-needed social
support of other breastfeeding mums.
Both the initiation and continuation rates in the area are lower than the national average [2]. Cutting vital support is likely to decrease the numbers further, and increase the demands on other parts of local healthcare [3]
[1] J Adv Nurs. 2008 May;62(4):407-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04618.x.
Supporting
breastfeeding mothers: qualitative synthesis.
McInnes RJ1, Chambers
JA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18476941?dopt=AbstractPlus
[2] Initiation rates in Q3 2011/12 England 74.1%, North Staffordshire 69%, Stoke-on-Trent 65.5%
Continuation rates at
6-8 weeks in Q3 2011/12 England %, North Staffordshire %,
Stoke-on-Trent %
Statistics taken from: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/215170/dh_134455.xls
[3] UNICEF report on potential NHS savings from investment in breastfeeding support
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/News/breastfeeding-report-nhs-savings/
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
June 23, 2014
Reached 100 supporters
June 4, 2014
8 Comments
Invaluable support, hundreds of women wouldn't be able to start/continue breastfeeding (doing the best thing for their babies, our countries next generation!) without the team.
STOKE NEEDS THIS. appointment only clinics just arent the same as the cafe. keep it open for us!!
this place was my only reason to get out of the house with my newborn. dont shut it down, we really need this social link.
so sad to hear its closing. it helped me through the tough early weeks and i made some great friends there.
Found so much help here when I was struggling with latching. Would have quit months ago without the girls at the cafe.
I would have given us without the support of the breastfeeding team.
News from Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe. Ang spoke to us all this morning about the plans. It has never been a good room for a cafe and it is busy enough that some new, vulnerable mothers are put off by it. The plans for a dedicated clinic by appointment sound very good and positive, and they should help lots of new mums who are just getting going. This does, however, mean that the cafe cannot continue in its current form. The team would like it to continue in another incarnation, and they are doing what they can to help us. I should hopefully hear soon what would be required for us to be an official breastfeeding cafe. I don't yet know whether the team would be able to send out a facilitator. There is a woman from the local children's centres attending next week to talk to us about how they may be able to help. It would be really great if those people who could help run a new group could come along next week to chat about possibilities. In the meantime, please keep sharing / signing the petition, and please keep investigating possible venues. Thanks. Xx
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Your share link
The local health authority has reversed their decision and confirmed that the Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe will remain open. It is a relief to know that this vital space for connection and support will continue to serve our community. Thank you for recognizing the importance of this work alongside me.
July 18, 2014
Final supporters
Please don't close our breastfeeding support group!
Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe is the flagship support group in Stoke-on-Trent. For over ten years it has helped families through any and all breastfeeding-related difficulties. It is relied upon by the women of Stoke-on-Trent and regularly has high attendance. It was announced recently that it will be closing at the end of the month, to be replaced by an appointment-only clinic. We who have received social, peer-to-peer support as well as professional advice at the face want it to continue.
Research shows that women value social support in helping them establish and continue breastfeeding [1]. The breastfeeding cafes and FAB groups across Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire welcome women and their families before and after birth, offering them access to professional and social support for breastfeeding and other aspects of early parenting. These groups allow new mums to form friendships and help each other through difficulties. They are a lifeline for women who may feel isolated or may be suffering from poor mental health following the birth, and offer a vital opportunity for them to gain confidence breastfeeding in the presence of others. Many specific problems are often only identified and referred to the Infant Feeding Team after social conversation with other breastfeeding mothers. The groups are always busy and should be expanded to new times and new locations, not closed.
Support groups run across the area on other days, but there are no other groups on a Monday morning and the only other group on a Monday finishes at 3pm, which is problematic for women with older children to collect from school. Women frequently experience issues over a weekend and attend the Cobridge cafe to ask about them. These are often issues that the support of other mums can help with, or that they would not consider serious enough to require an appointment. If there are no appointments available women will be forced to wait, often in pain, and travel to a less convenient part of the city at a less convenient time. This will also cause the number of home visits required by the IFT will go up, increasing their already heavy workload.
The Cobridge cafe is in
a central, accessible location with good transport links and on-site
parking. It is the only support group in the same building as the
Infant Feeding Team office. This allows it to offer unique access to
quick referrals and hire equipment such as pumps and slings, which
are stored at the Cobridge office.
The Cobridge cafe
has an important role in informal breastfeeding support in the area
and it is frequently the first place suggested by friends, relatives
and other groups as a place to ask questions of other mums or IFT,
practice breastfeeding in public, and access the much-needed social
support of other breastfeeding mums.
Both the initiation and continuation rates in the area are lower than the national average [2]. Cutting vital support is likely to decrease the numbers further, and increase the demands on other parts of local healthcare [3]
[1] J Adv Nurs. 2008 May;62(4):407-27. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2648.2008.04618.x.
Supporting
breastfeeding mothers: qualitative synthesis.
McInnes RJ1, Chambers
JA.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18476941?dopt=AbstractPlus
[2] Initiation rates in Q3 2011/12 England 74.1%, North Staffordshire 69%, Stoke-on-Trent 65.5%
Continuation rates at
6-8 weeks in Q3 2011/12 England %, North Staffordshire %,
Stoke-on-Trent %
Statistics taken from: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/215170/dh_134455.xls
[3] UNICEF report on potential NHS savings from investment in breastfeeding support
http://www.unicef.org.uk/Latest/News/breastfeeding-report-nhs-savings/
Updates
Reached 250 supporters
June 23, 2014
Reached 100 supporters
June 4, 2014
8 Comments
Really crucial service for new mothers trying to breastfeed, especially new ones please please don’t close It, without it many will undoubtedly give up on breastfeeding as services in Staffordshire aren’t easy to access after your baby s a few weeks old!
Invaluable support, hundreds of women wouldn't be able to start/continue breastfeeding (doing the best thing for their babies, our countries next generation!) without the team.
STOKE NEEDS THIS. appointment only clinics just arent the same as the cafe. keep it open for us!!
this place was my only reason to get out of the house with my newborn. dont shut it down, we really need this social link.
so sad to hear its closing. it helped me through the tough early weeks and i made some great friends there.
Found so much help here when I was struggling with latching. Would have quit months ago without the girls at the cafe.
I would have given us without the support of the breastfeeding team.
News from Cobridge Breastfeeding Cafe. Ang spoke to us all this morning about the plans. It has never been a good room for a cafe and it is busy enough that some new, vulnerable mothers are put off by it. The plans for a dedicated clinic by appointment sound very good and positive, and they should help lots of new mums who are just getting going. This does, however, mean that the cafe cannot continue in its current form. The team would like it to continue in another incarnation, and they are doing what they can to help us. I should hopefully hear soon what would be required for us to be an official breastfeeding cafe. I don't yet know whether the team would be able to send out a facilitator. There is a woman from the local children's centres attending next week to talk to us about how they may be able to help. It would be really great if those people who could help run a new group could come along next week to chat about possibilities. In the meantime, please keep sharing / signing the petition, and please keep investigating possible venues. Thanks. Xx
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Really crucial service for new mothers trying to breastfeed, especially new ones please please don’t close It, without it many will undoubtedly give up on breastfeeding as services in Staffordshire aren’t easy to access after your baby s a few weeks old!