August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month
By Certified Nurse Midwife Judith Locklear
In recognition of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, UNC Health Southeastern would like all women to know that we support them every step of the way. Through education, empowerment, and direct patient assistance, we believe that using these factors will help more women become successful at breastfeeding. We all want excellent health benefits, and breastfeeding benefits are unmatched by any healthcare plan. According to the Centers for Disease Control, breastfeeding is not just a decision mothers face but an investment in health.
Breastfeeding Benefit Plan (Reference: CDC)
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Benefits for Baby
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Benefits for Mom
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Breastfed babies have a decreased risk for:
- Asthma
- Type 1 diabetes
- Respiratory infections
- Obesity
- Gastrointestinal problems
- Ear infections
- SIDS
- Preterm infants are less likely to develop Necrotizing enterocolitis
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Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of developing:
- Breast cancer
- Ovarian cancer
- High blood pressure
- Type 2 diabetes
- Postpartum depression
- Quicker recovery to pre-pregnant weight and less blood loss from delivery
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It's no secret that breastfeeding is natural and the best source of nutrition for your baby in the first year of life, but did you know that the benefits of breastfeeding go beyond health?
As a mother who breastfed two children, I know that each pregnancy and baby is different, not every experience is victorious, and we can face challenges and barriers to breastfeeding. That is why our team at UNC Health Southeastern has met and continues to strive to uphold the standards required to earn the Baby-Friendly designation awarded by BFHI in the United States. To support this designation, our Maternal Child Health Services team strives to:
- Offer monthly online breastfeeding classes.
- Implement the “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” framework.
- Provide continued education to our physicians, midwives, nurses, and administrative team that have direct patient care.
- Provide breastfeeding supplies to help our mothers off to a great start.
- Employ lactation consultants.
- Most importantly, initiate skin-to-skin contact on the mother's chest immediately at delivery, a practice we have been implementing to help babies adjust to life outside the womb and stimulate the interest and release of hormones to support breastfeeding.
Our community’s health is essential, and it begins here at UNC Health Southeastern within the first hours of life. A mother's milk is nature's medicine for a sustainable future. This is why we are taking action to build a culture that supports and inspires our mothers to breastfeed. With awareness, we hope to reach all healthcare staff, families, communities, and employers to help make this breastfeeding journey an easy decision to make.
Certified Nurse Midwife Judith Locklear practices with UNC Health Women’s Health at the Oaks and UNC Health Women’s Health at Highland. She is also a member of the medical staff at UNC Health Southeastern and is part of the Maternal Child Health team.
