We are thrilled to tell you that 18 Bshirts have been donated to the South Hams Children’s Centre this morning! We had 12 Bshirts purchased by the public and Lisa and Philippa (co-founders of the Bshirt) have donated an additional 6! The tops are available through the SHCC staff and are intended to be redeemed by women struggling with breastfeeding. We have waited so long for this moment and we are delighted to share it with you.
For us, this is what it’s ALL ABOUT!
Our Donate One Campaign
Our Donate One Campaign enables members of the public to purchase a Bshirt nursing vest to be donated via Action for Children to mothers needing additional support while breastfeeding. A gift certificate is sent to the South Hams Children's Centre, run by Action for Children, to be distributed by their trained staff. Priority will be given to those statistically less likely to breastfeed and those struggling with breastfeeding in public. The new mum can then go online, choose her Bshirt, enter the voucher code and receive her donated breastfeeding top. For free.
New mothers and breastfeeding women from all over the South Hams access the resources and support available at this centre. In this way, a new mum - who may be on the verge of giving up breastfeeding - will feel acknowledged and appreciated for her part in making our society a healthier one for the future. If a total stranger can care enough about a new mum’s breastfeeding journey to support her in this way, that is a powerful message to send to women.
We will ask her to participate in a survey so that we can monitor the impact the Bshirt has on her breastfeeding journey and collate our findings into an impact report for the campaign. The first report will be ready for Summer 2017 and will be sent to our donors so they can see the impact their generosity has had.
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Lisa Lessware, co-founder of the Bshirt, says: “We feel it is essential to support mothers breastfeeding from the very start. It’s not just about the individual women - it’s not just her responsibility. It’s up to all of us. We know the UK has some of the lowest rates in the world and that is why we developed the Bshirt.”
The Bshirt is not your typical breastfeeding top - it's a vest designed to be worn under a mother's normal clothes. That means she hasn't got to buy any other breastfeeding clothes! It also keeps boobs and belly covered so she won't feel on display. The NHS and UNICEF both recognise embarrassment at feeding in public as a major barrier to breastfeeding.
Philippa Doyle, co-founder of the Bshirt, says “In our survey, 87% of women felt more confident breastfeeding in front of others while wearing their Bshirts. We are very excited about the impact we can have by empowering women to breastfeed more comfortably, more confidently and ultimately for longer. That's why we are so excited about our product - we believe we can make a real impact on breastfeeding rates!”
Get Involved
Donate a Bshirt to a breastfeeding mother who needs your support. Let her know how important her role is to society. You can Donate One here.
Your support will help us bring positive change to breastfeeding rates by empowering more women to breastfeed with confidence. If you become involved, you will receive regular reports and updates on the impact of our campaign.
Thank You
And lastly, a huge Thank You to all our Donate One supporters. Thank you for making breastfeeding a priority and thank you for making a new mum feel like the most important person in the world. Because she is.
If you have donated a Bshirt, please share this story so that others can learn about this amazing opportunity to have a direct impact on improving breastfeeding rates and supporting breastfeeding mothers.