Orange County Health Department recognizes August 1-7, 2013 as World Breastfeeding Week and this year’s theme, Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers, highlights the importance of providing support to breastfeeding families. During this week the health department’s Women, Infants and Children program, commonly known as WIC, is also celebrating the first year anniversary of their Walk-In Breastfeeding Clinic and Moms Support Group.
“Infant feeding is one of the most important decisions that new families make. Evidence is clear that breastfeeding is the ideal way to feed an infant. We are proud of the WIC moms that are nursing their babies, and of our peer counselors and Board Certified Lactation Consultants for the support they provide to these moms,” said Debra Amoedo, Public Health Nutrition WIC Program Director.
The WIC’s Breastfeeding Walk–In Clinic is open every Friday from 10:00am-12:00pm at the Central Office located at 901 W. Church St. Orlando, FL 32805. This clinic serves as a support group for breastfeeding mothers, along with their babies. During these sessions, certified lactation consultants and peer counselors work to meet participants’ breastfeeding goals, provide a venue for learning good parenting skills and help moms achieve healthy outcomes for their babies. It is a walk-in service, so no appointment is necessary. It is also open to the general public.
Breastfeeding has many benefits including: building a special bond with her baby, providing a uniquely perfect source of nutrition, cost savings, and health benefits for the mother and the baby. Breast milk protects a baby from illnesses including ear and upper respiratory infections, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), and obesity. Mothers who breastfeed also have a lower risk of some health problems, including breast and ovarian cancer.
Despite most mothers wanting to breastfeed, many are met with multiple and complex barriers that keep them from achieving their personal breastfeeding goals.
“It is vital that breastfeeding families be supported by their community. This support can be expressed by healthcare providers adopting policies and practices that assume breastfeeding as the normal feeding method for infants as well as by employers providing a private place and flexible work options to express breast milk during the work day. The Florida Department of Health in Orange County is a breastfeeding friendly workplace,” said Dr. Kevin M. Sherin, Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County.
To find a lactation consultant in your community with expertise in worksite lactation support, visit your WIC Program or the International Lactation Consultant Association’s (ILCA) “Worksite Lactation Support” Directory.
World Breastfeeding Week is coordinated globally by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA). For more information, visit the WABA website at www.waba.org.my .
