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Mum praises Jersey's support for new parents

Chris Craddock
BBC Jersey communities reporter
BBC Cerin smiles at the camera as she sits by a white table with her seven month old baby Clementine on her lap. Cerin is wearing a black jumper and has long brown hair. Clementine is wearing a white baby jumper and has a light pink bib on.BBC
Cerin Hodder moved to Jersey from South Wales and says support is much better in the island

A mother has praised the support available for new parents in Jersey, including herself.

Cerin Hodder had her daughter Clementine seven months ago, who born with some complications, including tongue-tie, which is where the piece of skin connecting the tongue to the bottom of the mouth is shorter or tighter than usual.

She attended an event by UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Jersey that focused on what rights and support were available when parents went back to work.

Ms Hodder said her experience as a new mum in Jersey was "really great" and she had been "supported along the way", which was different from her experiences in the UK, including South Wales, where she is originally from.

A woman in front of a stand as she gestures to a projector screen which has statistics on Jersey employment legislation.
Experts showed those at the event statistics around support for new parents in the island

Legal experts and support services spoke at the event at St Paul's Centre on Monday to raise awareness about what parents should expect when they returned to work.

Ms Hodder said: "All the cafes I've been to or anywhere out and about I'd never had a negative experience... I can't say the same for when I've been back in the UK and in south Wales."

She added: "The event has been really helpful just to firm up about the ideas I might need to express when I return to work like around breastfeeding – I mean Clementine will be a lot older, so it's unlikely I'll need it – but it's good to know I have a right to a nice clean, safe space that isn't a loo to feed or pump in."

The latest statistics in Jersey show 42% of mums are exclusively breastfeeding their babies after six to eight weeks, compared to 24% in the UK, according to the NHS.

Raluca looks at the camera with a a sign behind her to her left which has the Breastfeeding Jersey Initiative logo on it. She is wearing a black jacket and has shoulder length blonde hair.
Deputy Raluca Kovacs wants more parents and employers to know the rights around going back to work after having children

Deputy Raluca Kovacs, chair of UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative Jersey, organised the event.

She said: "We see the biggest fall of breastfeeding rates when parents go back to work... Although the legislation is there for parental rights, there's not enough awareness with parents and employers.

"The breastfeeding group I'm part of is working to train GPs as well, because we want consistent and accurate support available which is not always happening, and also our next step will to go into schools and explain the importance of breastfeeding to young people."

The event also highlighted the legal responsibilities of employers to make safe spaces for pumping breast milk available and how long those rights were in place for.

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