Support and encouragement provided to mothers who breastfeed

World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7, Theme is “Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers”

Mothers need support of those around them to begin breastfeeding, continue breastfeeding, and to help them meet their breastfeeding goals. “The success rate among mothers who choose to breastfeed can be significantly improved through active support from their families, friends, communities, peer counselors, clinicians, health care leaders, and employers,” say Logan County Health Department Administrator Jay Smith.

The Logan County Health Department and the Oklahoma State Department of Health (OSDH) Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program are promoting World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2013, with the theme “Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers” to highlight the need of support for breastfeeding mothers. County Health Departments and WIC clinics provide breastfeeding support to mothers through trained staff. All staff have received basic breastfeeding training and some staff have received advanced lactation training and have become certified as lactation consultants. Breastfeeding education classes, individual breastfeeding counseling, mother-to-mother support groups along with breastfeeding education materials and supplies are also available to help support mothers.

Special World Breastfeeding Week activities planned for Logan County include a reception on Wednesday, August 7 at 1 p.m. at the Logan County Health Department.

The Logan County Health Department hopes these activities will raise awareness about the importance of actively supporting mothers to continue to breastfeed for at least the baby’s first year and beyond. Research shows that there are many long-term health benefits for infants who exclusively breastfeed for six months or longer. These benefits reduce chronic diseases, such as obesity, type 1 and 2 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, and some childhood lymphomas and leukemia.

For more information about supporting breastfeeding, call the Logan County Health Department at 405-282-3485, visit the OSDH Breastfeeding website at http://bis.health.ok.gov, or call the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline at 1-877-271-MILK (6455).