April 15, 2007
Members of the community, physicians, nurses, WIC and other departments in YKHC have banded together to restart the Bethel Breastfeeding Task Force.
This is in response to a growing need to educate and support the families in the Delta in making the healthiest choice for their babies, breastfeeding!
The Bethel Breastfeeding Task Force has begun their efforts by printing a pamphlet that lists all the benefits associated with breastfeeding. These pamphlets will be available at first prenatal exams in the clinics and in the hospital.
Currently, 78 percent of our moms start breastfeeding at childbirth. Unfortunately, we see a tremendous drop at 3–4 months and only 37 percent are breastfeeding at 6 months. The national goal is to have 50 percent still breastfeeding at 6 months and 25 percent at one year.
Breastfeeding is the healthiest way to feed your baby. It offers immunization against a lot of illnesses, is healthier for a baby's digestion, needs no preparation or sterilization, and is the original subsistence food!
Breastfeeding also has health benefits for the mother. For example, there is a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers and the added benefit of helping with weight loss!
The World Health Organization recommends with their Healthy Baby Initiative that women breastfeed up to two years old. The OB unit is beginning a support service of calling the new moms at two weeks to offer assistance and answer any questions.
Currently, moms are free to call the OB unit at YKHC and talk with our nurses who have a lot of experience with breastfeeding. We are also working on making OB "baby friendly" by having official nap times when moms can get the rest and have the quiet time so important to breastfeeding.
YKHC's Women Infants and Children Program (WIC) has always promoted breastfeeding and offers mothers pumps for free so that when moms go to work they can still feed their babies the best food. Many women are happily caring for their babies and themselves by choosing to pump, even though it seems awkward at first. WIC has a room just for breastfeeding moms. This includes women working in the hospital who are also welcome to pump at that location.