DOH Schedules Activities For National Breastfeeding Month

Daytona Beach, FL — The Florida Department of Health in Volusia County (DOH-Volusia) is celebrating National Breastfeeding Month in August. This year's theme—Charting the Course Together—focuses on using data and measurement to build and reinforce the connections between breastfeeding and a broad spectrum of other health topics and initiatives.

The department is working to promote breastfeeding as a vital health activity and encourages breastfeeding-friendly hospitals, child care facilities, work places and communities with two activities in August.

• The Big Latch On is from 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Friday, August 4. Breastfeeding mothers, supporters and advocates are encouraged to attend.
• Ready, Set, Breastfeed class from 6 to 8 p.m., Thursday, August 17. Prenatal women and their partners may learn the basics of breastfeeding.

Both events will be held at the DOH-Volusia’s Daytona Beach location, 1845 Holsonback Drive. There’s no cost to attend. For more information on the classes, please call 866-WIC-FOOD (942-3663).

How to feed a new baby is one of the first important decisions a family makes. Most women who choose to breastfeed have a specific goal in mind.

Research shows:

• Breastfed infants have a reduced risk of infections, asthma, obesity and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) compared with formula-fed infants;
• Mothers who breastfeed have a reduced risk of breast cancer, ovarian cancer, and postpartum depression compared to mothers who don't breastfeed; and

To reach the goal of exclusive breastfeeding for at least six months, mothers need supportive work policies, infant and child-care at or near the workplace, and private facilities for expressing and storing breastmilk. It takes time and practice to learn how to breastfeed, both for mother and baby, and to establish a good milk supply.

DOH-Volusia’s Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program offers resources and staff to help breastfeeding mothers, including International Board, Certified lactation consultants who have a high level of specialized knowledge in breastfeeding. WIC also offers breastfeeding peer counseling programs. Trained peer counselors are chosen from the same socio/economic/ethnic groups as WIC clients and have successfully breastfed their own babies.  Breastfeeding peer counselors provide mother-to-mother basic breastfeeding education and support to pregnant and breastfeeding moms.

 For information, please visit volusiahealth.com/wic or call 866-WIC FOOD (942-3663).

In recognition of National Breastfeeding Month, each year the United States Breastfeeding Committee hosts outreach campaigns inviting breastfeeding coalitions, member/partner organizations, and individual supporters to join online actions and conversations to build support for the policy and practice changes needed to build a "landscape of breastfeeding support."

Photo courtesy of Oksana Kuzmina and Shutterstok.com.

Copyright Southernstone Communications 2017