The family-friendly Coffeetots Play Café in Chester has been nominated for a national breastfeeding award.

The awards have been designed by Lansinoh to celebrate places and people across the country supporting breastfeeding mums.

One mum who nominated the café said: “Lee Stevens (owner) has been more supportive than most people I’ve ever met. A friend introduced me to the café and I was a shy breastfeeder. He would ask me if I needed anything, helped if he saw me struggling to juggle and would sit down to talk with me. To date most positive experience in my 17 months of breastfeeding!”

The cafe which is stuated alongside the canal in Chester opened a year ago and since then has become a firm favourite with Chester’s mums and dads.

In 2015, 776,950 babies were born in the UK yet 0.5% of UK mums are breastfeeding their newborn at 12 months, despite recommendations from the World Health Organisation to continue breastfeeding into your baby’s second year.

To understand if there is a stigma attached to breastfeeding in public, Lansinoh conducted research to gauge public opinion. The new research quashed common misconceptions, revealing that the over 65s are the most accepting and that men are more comfortable with it than women. Witnessing a woman breastfeeding in a café, restaurant or pub was uncomfortable for an average of 46% of people. Despite the most comfortable public spaces being revealed as the great outdoors, a surprising percentage of people still felt uncomfortable at the park (17%) and beach (16%).

The Feed With Confidence Awards recognise people and places that help to support mums and positively change perceptions. The awards are supported by the Lansinoh Feed With Confidence Ambassador: Al Ferguson of The Dad Network.

Nominations aren’t limited to just cafés and restaurants, either – if your local library, cinema or even garden centre has championed breastfeeding mums, they can be nominated too.

The awards will be open for nominations until December 31, with the winners announced in March 2018.

For more information or to nominate visit www.lansinoh.co.uk/feed-with-confidence .