The Childbirth Center or obstetrics department at St. Francis Hospital & Health Services is launching a month of breastfeeding activities by celebrating 2011 World Breastfeeding Week.
This week-long observance, from August 1 through 7, is celebrated in more than 170 countries and encourages breastfeeding to improve the health of babies worldwide. It commemorates the Innocenti Declaration made by the World Health Organization and UNICEF policymakers in August 1990 to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
The St. Francis Childbirth Center invites moms, expectant mothers and families to celebrate with them. Throughout the month, the center will feature an informational display with educational literature on breastfeeding. They will also give away a state-of-the-art electronic breast pump at the end of the month to support a nursing mom.
"We're celebrating this month by educating moms, expectant mothers and family members about the benefits of breastfeeding,” said Kathy Brand, OB nurse manager. “Mothers can learn about positioning and feeding, how to establish a good milk supply, how to store and stockpile breast milk to prepare for returning to work, and how to discreetly breastfeed in public."
According to Brand, the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh any inconvenience that may be perceived. “It makes kids healthier. It boosts babies' immune systems and guards them against childhood obesity and diabetes. It reduces a woman's chance of breast cancer and burns as much as 600 calories a day. And it's free and available day and night.”
Additional good news has been released regarding the advantages of breastfeeding for both mom and baby. Results from a study by the University of Pittsburgh's Department of Medicine show that breastfeeding may lower a mother's risk of Type 2 Diabetes. Also, in a review of 288 studies on breastfeeding and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) data, researchers conclude in July's issue of Pediatrics that breastfeeding protects against SIDS.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be fed only breast milk for the first six months of life and continue receiving breast milk for one year. About 60 percent of mothers are breastfeeding when they leave the hospital, and about one in five are breast-feeding at six months, according to the most recent AAP data.
“Currently about 75 percent of our delivering moms breastfeed at discharge,” Brand reported. “By six months of age, our internal review indicates that about 43 percent are continuing to breastfeed. About one year ago, we were at 18 percent so our initiatives have made a positive impact.”
The OB nurses at St. Francis encourage and give breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills they need to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. By mid-September, all of the full-time and part-time RNs will be certified as Breastfeeding Educators.
For more information, call the St. Francis Childbirth Center at (660) 562-7924.