WHEN Mel Buckley’s daughter Emily was born six years ago she had no fear of breastfeeding the tot in public.

But the Rodbourne mum-of-two knows that not all new mothers share her confidence.

It’s one of the reasons why Mel is backing the council’s bid to make Swindon a breastfeeding-friendly town.

It’s also why she became a volunteer at Breastmates, a network of five support groups for Swindon mums that meet across the town.

Mel, 34, helps organise groups in Gorse Hill and Kingshill. She said: “I just think it’s a really nice group and it’s a good place to find friends.

“It’s very rewarding to be able to help a mum with problems and have her come by and say that I you hadn’t helped I’d never have continued with breastfeeding.”

Last week the Breastmates celebrated National Breastfeeding Week. Mums and babies from across Swindon met at the Gorse Hill Baptist Church to find out more about breastfeeding.

In Swindon it is estimated that almost half of new babies are breastfed. Around 3,000 babies are born in the town every year.

Kathryn Townsend, an infant feeding health visitor for Swindon Borough Council, hopes to boost breastfeeding rates among Swindon mums.

The former midwife said of the positive aspects to breastfeeding: “For me, it’s the relationship benefits and the health benefits for mother and baby.”

Breastfed babies were less likely to develop intestinal or kidney problems, she said: “And they don’t cry as much.”

Despite the benefits, many mums feel that they can’t breastfeed. Kathryn said: “We still have some parents who think that they can’t breastfeed in public.

“Many grandparents formula fed their own babies. They see that their children grew up okay.

“There isn’t that extended support for breastfeeding within our wider culture.

“We can’t say breast feeding is the best way to feed your baby without supporting mothers to do it.”

The council is pushing shops, cafés, businesses and public places to sign up to become a ‘breastfeeding welcome venue’.

Although free, to qualify for the award businesses must allow babies to be breastfed in any public area and sign up to the campaign’s breastfeeding policy. Businesses can advertise their breastfeeding-welcome status with window stickers and through the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme website.

So far, 33 places in Swindon have qualified under the scheme – including Swindon Museum and Art Gallery and Swindon’s libraries.

“If we make as many venues as breast-feeding friendly as possible, we can make it normal to breastfeed in public,” Kathryn said.

The council is also supporting Swindon Breastmates groups – with the support group leaders trained over an intensive 10-week programme. A Facebook page provides peer support 24-hours-a-day.

The groups are effective, Kathryn says. “It’s like having someone holding your hand through that journey, so breastfeeding mums always feel there’s someone by their side.”

To find out more about Swindon Breastmates, visit: www.facebook.com/swindonbreastmates