Prairie North Health Region is celebrating World Breastfeeding Week, Oct. 1 - 7.
The week serves to protect, promote and support breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding and emphasizes that breastfeeding provides benefits for mother and baby.
According to a press release, PNHR works to protect, promote and support breastfeeding in several ways. Throughout the year, the Prairie North regional breastfeeding committee distributes breastfeeding posters to schools, doctors' offices and public buildings throughout the health region.
The health region will soon be providing new training to nurses covering all aspects of breastfeeding. Once fully implemented, all nurses in direct contact with new breastfeeding moms will have more in-depth knowledge of the benefits of breastfeeding and how to fully support new moms. This will ensure moms get consistent messaging and support in hospital and in the community, the press release states.
PNHR says it encourages the community to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. The region suggests educating children at an early age of the health benefits of breastfeeding and making them aware breastfeeding is the normal way to feed an infant. There are also children's books at local libraries that show breastfeeding moms. Businesses and workplaces can support breastfeeding by providing comfortable seating and by displaying the new breastfeeding posters and Breastfeeding Welcome Here stickers available from PNHR.
Exclusively breastfed infants have a lower risk of chronic disease including obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, as well as a lower risk of ear infections and asthma/allergies. Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing complete nutrition to babies. Breast milk not only provides the perfect nutrition for babies, it is convenient, portable, always served at the right temperature, sanitary and economical.
Breastfeeding provides health benefits to the nursing mother, such as decreasing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and helping mom return to her pre-pregnancy weight. Breast milk is also custom-made to meet the changing nutritional requirements of the growing baby.
