To the editor:
I make milk – what’s your superpower? From Aug. 1-7, families everywhere celebrated World Breastfeeding Week.
Breastfeeding is normal, healthy and efficient. Feeding a baby for the first year on formula can cost over $1,200; nursing is free.
Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness and even sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of various health problems for babies, including ear infections, stomach viruses, respiratory infections, asthma, obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, and childhood leukemia. For moms, breastfeeding is linked to a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, breast cancer, ovarian cancer and postpartum depression.
Infant formula cannot match the exact chemical makeup of human milk, especially the cells, hormones and antibodies that fight disease. For most babies, breast milk is easier to digest than formula.
Wisconsin’s breastfeeding rates are higher than the national average. About 31 percent of Wisconsin babies are exclusively breastfed at 3 months of age, and about 17 percent are still exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months. These numbers are admirable; they are above the national average and are on their way to meeting the national goals for 2020 of 46 percent of babies exclusively breastfed at three months and 25 percent exclusively breastfed at six months.
Though natural, breastfeeding is work. Nursing can be painful and requires patience and persistence from the beginning. Support from family, friends and workplaces are vital as mother and child form their bond. Did you know ThedaCare-Shawano Medical Center has a free breastfeeding support group? Mary Alexander, registered nurse and internationally board certified lactation consultant, facilitates a breastfeeding support group on the second and fourth Wednesdays of the month from 10-11:30 a.m. in the Cedar Room of Shawano Medical Center. Any breastfeeding mom is welcome to attend! Shawano County WIC Program will also have a certified lactation consultant on staff beginning this fall.
Help us celebrate nursing mothers and children! Cheer on breastfeeding family members and friends. As employers and co-workers, strive to not only abide by the Break Time for Nursing Mother’s law requiring a time and place to pump, but also to support and even champion nursing working mothers. These family friendly benefits also bring your business a 3:1 return on investment through lower health care costs, lower employee absenteeism rates (since babies are healthier), lower turnover rates, and higher employee productivity and loyalty.
What’s your superpower? Support mothers who nourish by nursing.
Jaime Bodden,
Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department health officer
Megan Suehring,
Shawano-Menominee Counties Health Department community health educator
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