West NY News

The Chautauqua County Health Department (CCHD) is participating in National Breastfeeding Month in August and World Breastfeeding Week from August 1-7, 2024. This year's theme, "Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All," highlights the diversity of breastfeeding mothers and emphasizes the importance of support from families, communities, and health workers.

Through its Welcome Home Baby Program, CCHD offers every new parent in Chautauqua County a one-time visit with a Public Health Nurse. During this visit, parents receive lactation support and free supplies to aid successful breastfeeding. Additional visits from a lactation consultant are available if needed, and mothers can contact the breastfeeding hotline at 844-423-2229 for further assistance.

“Our nurses visit UPMC Chautauqua’s maternity unit throughout the week to greet new moms and let them know we are here to help with questions, even after discharge during the Welcome Home Baby Program visit and through around-the-clock support offered to those struggling to breastfeed,” said Cathy Burgess, Director of Community Health Nursing. “UPMC and other surrounding hospitals outside the county do a great job to get mothers started on the right track with their breastfeeding goals. We can step in and offer that often much-needed support later when moms may be feeling frustrated and about to give up.”

Supportive workplaces play a crucial role for breastfeeding parents returning to work. Evidence indicates that while breastfeeding rates drop significantly when women return to work, this negative impact can be mitigated if workplaces provide resources such as paid maternity leave, breastfeeding breaks, and designated rooms for breastfeeding or expressing milk.

Family-friendly workplace policies benefit not only working women but also employers by reducing maternity-related absenteeism, increasing female worker retention, and lowering hiring and training costs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for a baby’s first six months of life and continued breastfeeding supplemented with solid foods from six months to two years or beyond.

“From the earliest moments of a child’s life, breastfeeding promotes healthy child development,” stated Lacey Wilson, Chautauqua County’s Public Health Director. “Breastfeeding protects babies from common infectious diseases and boosts children’s immune systems, providing key nutrients needed for growth.”

Breastfed babies experience fewer respiratory illnesses, gastrointestinal issues, ear infections, allergies, skin rashes; face lower risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), obesity, Type 2 Diabetes; and leukemia. Mothers who breastfeed are less likely to develop Type 2 Diabetes or suffer from breast cancer ovarian cancers postpartum depression heal faster after birth lose baby weight more quickly

Tips for effective breastfeeding include feeding early often learning baby's hunger signs following baby's lead keeping baby close avoiding nipple confusion sleeping safely close by knowing when wake baby

For more information about CCHD's Welcome Home Baby Program visit HealthyCHQ.com/BABY