Protect FamiliesTips to protect and increase families healthiness

You may have noticed the amount of news generated in the last few months of breastfeeding! And, recently, the Director General of Public Health released a report U.S. Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding (Call to Action in Support of Breastfeeding), detailing how we can support mothers who choose to breastfeed their children. In addition, the report Healthy People 2020 (Healthy People 2020) has increased the expectations for both mothers and babies in this regard.

We know that most mothers want to breastfeed their babies – recent data show that 82% of mothers in Massachusetts began breast-feeding their children. But the truth is that the number of mothers who continue breastfeeding is drastically reduced in the months after delivery. Within two months, only 47% of children are exclusively breastfed, which means you eat only breast milk and consumes no formula milk.

As many mothers can attest, this surprising change has much to do with the lack of support that exists for nursing mothers. The fact that many mothers start breast-feeding shows that they know is a good choice. However, many mothers may also add that breastfeeding is not easy at first. Sometimes the lack of support can be a mother to question whether it can proceed.

Perhaps, now, be asking “but how I can support the decision of a mother breastfeeding her child?”

• In the early days, mothers want help, but not necessarily when it comes to childcare. If you offer help with household chores can stop worry about little things and can devote time to creating an irreplaceable bond with your baby.

• Let the mother is doing a good job and help you feel comfortable when breastfeeding.

• If you are a business, have a room where the mother has enough privacy to express milk during working hours. A new federal law requires employers to accommodate the needs of breastfeeding mothers when it comes to time and space to pump milk until you have completed one year from the birth. Read more about this law here (information in English).

• If you are a health care provider, a family member or friend, consider referring the mother to the WIC program closer to home. WIC provides services such as individual assessments on breastfeeding, as well as education and support; classes how to breastfeed your baby, help with access to breast pumps, support groups from mother to mother and more!

To find a WIC program in your area and see if it meets the requirements to access these services, visit www.mass.gov / wic. You can even find general information about breastfeeding on this website under the title ‘Breastfeeding Support’ (information available only in English). Even mothers who do not qualify for WIC services may meet other community resources to support them on breastfeeding.

For mothers who are not eligible for WIC, the program also La Leche League International can help those who breastfeed their children through support among mothers, information and education as well as promoting a greater understanding of Why breastfeeding is an important element in the development of the baby and mother.

You can also visit the website for more resources www.zipmilk.com in your area. Do you have any other advice to share with women who are mothers to encourage them to breastfeed their children?

Thanks to Meghan Morse, program coordinator for DPH breastfeeding, for contributing their knowledge to writing this blog.

Article: Maria Gonzalez, Maria is the Community Health Education Manager at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health.

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