Merredin cafe, Dimensions Café and Wellness Centre, is the newest Wheatbelt venue to show support for breastfeeding mothers. It joins 26 other Wheatbelt venues who have registered with the Australian Breastfeeding Association as a breastfeeding friendly venue.
As a mother who breastfed four children, owner of Dimensions Café and Wellness Centre Dianne Dixon said she understood the importance of having a safe and comfortable environment when breastfeeding.
“While breastfeeding all my children until they were toddlers, I soon found out just how uncomfortable and awkward it can be when out in public,” she said.
Results from a local breastfeeding survey showed that a number of Wheatbelt mothers struggled with breastfeeding in public and many were looking for places where they would know breastfeeding was accepted.
Health Promotion Officer, Amber Durey said that while there are many reasons women chose not to breastfeed, not feeling confident breastfeeding in public is one of the top 6 reasons women choose not to breastfeed.
“With Wheatbelt mothers looking for supportive places to breastfeed, it’s important that local venues are registered and known as breastfeeding friendly. We need to make sure mothers feel confident and supported in their choice to breastfeed,” said Amber.
It was from her personal experiences with breastfeeding that Di decided to register Dimension Café and Wellness Centre as a breastfeeding friendly venue, the only dining venue within a 150 kilometre radius of Merredin.
“As a mother, I also understand that we can’t control our children’s hunger and therefore, I understand the necessity of breastfeeding in public places,” Di said.
“We really want to promote breastfeeding and the convenience of breastfeeding.
Local organisations can register as a ‘Breastfeeding Welcome Here’ venue online by visiting www.breastfeeding.asn.au
For more information contact Eastern Wheatbelt Primary Health on 9041 0444.
See behind the scenes at Dimensions Cafe and Wellness Centre here.