More than milk on tour at AAH

Featuring over 100 images, the More Than Milk photograph exhibition portrays the everyday life of breastfeeding mothers, thanks to photographs submitted by families themselves, and features people from all across Northern Ireland.

Antrim Area Hospital is the first to host the exhibition and has displays in maternity outpatients (Outpatients 4), the Loughview Restaurant, corridor to labour ward and Neonatal Unit.

The exhibition is a project by Breastival Belfast a community interest company, founded by Belfast Mums Jennifer Hanratty and Jennie Wallace, dedicated to improving support for families who choose to breastfeed.

Jennifer said: “More and more families are choosing to breastfeed but women can feel uncomfortable feeding in public. One reason for that is that we don’t often see women breastfeeding because our current breastfeeding rates are so low. As Marian Wright Edelman said, “you can’t be what you can’t see”. #MoreThanMilk gives new and expectant families the chance to see breastfeeding as part of everyday family life.”

The exhibition is welcomed by the Northern Trust and the team in Antrim Area Hospital, who encourage and support breastfeeding. The team have recently applied for the Gold Status UNICEF Baby Friendly accreditation, the first service in Northern Ireland to do so, which recognises their work at sustaining standards of improving the care provided for all mothers and babies.

Gillian Anderson, Breastfeeding Co-ordinator and Infant Tongue-tie specialist for the Northern Health and Social Care Trust said: “We are delighted to be the first place to host this beautiful exhibition and hope it will help families feel empowered to choose breastfeeding and for mums to feel confident feeding out and about.”

The exhibition will be on display in the hospital throughout June and July.