BREASTFEEDING mothers will be made to feel more welcome at Moors Valley after the country park signed up to a national scheme.

The park near Ringwood has become one of the latest locations in Dorset to join the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme promoted by the Families and Babies (FAB) breastfeeding support charity.

While many premises in the county support breastfeeding, those displaying the pink sticker declaring ‘We Welcome Breastfeeding Here’ have pledged to be especially welcoming to nursing mothers.

Katie Davies, accessibility champion at Moors Valley, said: “We are delighted to sign up to the Breastfeeding Welcome Scheme. According to the medical journal The Lancet, the UK breastfeeding rates are amongst the worst in the world, yet it really is so simple to make mums and babies feel welcome and to make their visit to us easier.

"With so many potential health benefits we’d like to encourage other businesses to do the same.”

The immediate health benefits of breastfeeding include strengthening a baby’s immune system. Longer term benefits to babies are perhaps less well-known, and include reducing the risk of infection, reducing the risk of problems with kidneys, joints, respiratory and circulation systems and reducing further risks in later life of type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease. Mothers also gain many health benefits from breastfeeding.

However, according to research carried out by breastfeeding support website Lansinoh, 46 per cent of people who took part in the survey said they felt uncomfortable seeing a woman breastfeed at a restaurant, café or pub. While 17 per cent felt uncomfortable about seeing it in the park.

Melanie Keddie, marketing manager for the Forestry Commission South District, said the park placed the “utmost importance on the well-being and comfort” of its visitors.

“We understand how beneficial breastfeeding is for both mum and baby and know that it can be challenging especially in the early days,” she said.

“We hope that by participating in this scheme we can make it easier for mums to get out into the forest with their babies. We look forward to welcoming mums and their babies at Moors Valley Country Park”.