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Yummy Mummy's breastfeeding campaign
Now that face rings a bell?
Nia Rutter's friends do a double take when they spot the larger than life poster on a town centre phone box.
The blonde afro wig is a bit of a baffler, but the face is a giveaway.... yes, the billboard star, breastfeeding her baby, is none other than Nia.
Full time mum, Nia, 22, of Grasmere Road, Marton, is one of three Fylde Yummy Mummies who , from this week, are stars of an NHS breastfeeding campaign.
The aim is give breastfeeding a trendier image amongst new mums in areas where rates fall way below the Government health targets.
By raising awareness of the benefits to both mum and baby, health officials are hoping the model mums will help turn the tide from bottle to breast.
Nia, married to Jonathan, appears on the poster in '70s psychedelic flares and afro wig, breastfeeding Marcia Rose,now seven months, along with the words: "She's Not a Disco Diva - She's a Star."
Nia, also mum to Gracie Leigh, 21 months, said: " Breastfeeding is important to me, it's the way I have been brought up. In my family it is how you feed your baby, and I never imagined bottle feeding."
Her mum, Vivien Nwidobie, has been on hand with encouragement and advice , as has her health visitor who put her name forward for the Be A Star campaign.
Nia said her advice to expectant mums thinking about breastfeeding is " Keep going. The first days can be tough especially when you are worried it might go wrong. Make sure you have the right support and advice."
Before she had her babies, Nia was studying for a sports diploma and hoped to become a physiotherapist but now being a good mum is the driving force in her life. She still finds time to take part in the athletic track events she loves.
She said breastfeeding had helped her to regain her pre-pregnancy figure. "I was back to a 10-12 in about three months."
Nia is usually camera shy but was thrilled with the photo-shoot, complete with make-up artist and stylist.
"I loved the wig. I want one now!" she said.
Vanessa Walker, 18, of Layton looks every inch the catwalk model on her Be A Star pose which is captioned with the words "She's Not a Celebrity - She's a Star".
For Vanessa, who lives with her partner Luke Waterhouse, 31, in Lynwood Avenue, the photoshoot was familiar ground. She's worked as a model and is looking forward to adding more assignments to her portfolio.
She chose to breastfeed because she wanted the best for her baby. "It just seemed the right thing to do. It is better for Harvey and better for me.
The first three days were difficult but it's been easy since then. It's just the best thing.
"It's great when you are going out and about too .. there's less stuff to cart around."
Luke enjoys showing off his beautiful mum and baby. "He's so proud of me. He's got my Be A Star posters on his MySpace page," said Vanessa.
Completing the line-up of Fylde stars is Samantha Manickum, 22, of Blakiston Street, Fleetwood.
Samantha looks stunning in full-length gown, microphone in hand, in her poster shot which is captioned: She's Not a Singer, She's a Star."
Pictured with Dylan, now three months, Samantha is on maternity leave from her job in a betting office.
Samantha , who plays rock guitar and draws and paints surrealist and abstract paintings in her spare time, said she made up her mind to breastfeed to give Dylan, born seven weeks premature, the best start in life - initially expressing milk which was fed by tube to Dylan.
"Initially my mum was worried that it would be hard for me, that it would mean getting up in the night, and that maybe Dylan wouldn't take to it, as none of us had been breastfed. But she is really, really pleased now and very proud of us! So is my dad!"
Her partner, Neil Minto ,supported her decision. "None of my friends have breastfed for more than a few days - and one reason was partners wanting to be able to do some of the feeds. Neil and I talked about it and he supported me 100%. He loves to have his own time with Dylan, like bathing him, when he gets to bond."
The be a star campaign, feature mums from Blackpool and North Lancashire, was launched on Saturday - the start of Breastfeeding Awareness Week and posters featuring Vanessa, Nia and Samantha with their babies are being displayed as posters and on buses, bus shelters and phone kiosks , plus children's centres, health centres, and GP surgeries.
Morecambe mum Clare Stewart will star in her own area.
The Be a Star campaign started in Central Lancashire Primary Care Trust and has now and has now grown as Lancashire County Council's Early Years Service, Blackburn with Darwen PCT and Little Angels, East Lancashire PCT, Bolton PCT, Blackpool PCT and North Lancashire Teaching PCT have become partners.
The aim is to increase the number of young mums who are proud to breastfeed.
Mary Whitmore, who is coordinating the campaign for Blackpool and North Lancashire Teaching PCTs said: "The PCTs and Children's Centres are working towards UNICEF Baby Friendly Accreditation implementing best practice standards of care for pregnant women and breastfeeding mothers.
"Young mums are less likely to breastfeed than other mums, and the Be A Star campaign aims to raise the profile of breastfeeding with younger women and empower them to breastfeed, whilst conveying the many health benefits for mother and baby".
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Saturday 11 February 2012
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