Breastfeeding Part 2: What Are We Doing?

Click here to view Part 1 of this post.

Have you ever seen a breastfeeding poster? Typically it depicts a mom, adorned in a pastel robe, with baby on breast. The mom and baby are typically looking at each other and the artistic concept feels dated and awkward. It brings me back to the 1970's "Our Bodies, Ourselves" book that my mom made me read when I was coming of age. It's too much. It sneaks up on you in a hallway, a bathroom or even the library. Just when you weren't thinking about breastfeeding, POW, there it is.

These randomly placed posters don't shift social norms for breastfeeding or offer new moms any real form of support.
So what will? Reaching moms where they are when they need the info. Then promoting the science to the rest of us.

How are we doing that?
We are supporting moms during their hospital stay, at work and at home. Moms need help right away when they are trying to make a decision to breastfeed or when they are having a rough day with their infant. They need encouragement. Ya!  Well, this is one of the major initiatives that my Healthier Communities team is working on at Alegent Health in a partnership with Douglas County Health Department, VNA, Tom Tonniges, M.D. and UNMC College of Nursing. We received a grant from one of our Alegent Health sponsors Catholic Health Initiatives to educate and support moms and train more providers to counsel patients on this health opportunity.

Strategy #1
Promote breastfeeding in the workplace: This is an important one considering that without support most working moms have difficulty juggle breastfeeding and their career simultaneously.

• Our coalition is;
• Supporting small businesses in getting breast pumps and educating working moms
• We are currently surveying moms at production and manufacturing companies to find out more about how we can help
• We are helping workplaces deal with the changes outlined in the Affordable Care and Patient Protection Act (which added a new provision to the Fair Labor Standards Act) requiring that businesses with more than 50 employees to  provide a lactation room with a door that closes in a space other than a restroom. (Yae!)

Strategy #2
Enhance breastfeeding friendly maternity practices in hospitals.

• Our coalition has;
• Hosted hospital leadership round table with nearly all the health systems from the Omaha metro area to discuss potential policies that could help hospitals be more baby friendly.
• Some of these policies include:
• Allowing the mom to hold the baby right away and breastfeed within the first hour of birth
• Keeping the baby in the room with mom rather than putting them in the nursery
• Not sending free formula samples home with mom because it makes it too easy to reach for the stuff on tough days
• Giving moms the information about breastfeeding and it's health benefits before delivery in childbirth education classes.

Strategy #3
Provide professional breastfeeding education support and training to primary care physicians and their staff.

• Our coalition;
• Educated more than 300 physicians and medical providers in the community on the value of baby friendly hospital procedures in the neurological development of a baby's brain through a global skin-to-skin expert , speaker Dr. Nils Bergman.
• Provide Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) training for community health workers and providers. Last Aug., 23 were trained to help moms in their own clinics and hospitals. In January 2012, another 75 will be trained to help moms.
• Partnering with OBGYN and Family Practice physicians to help them feel informed to speak on the topic and begin to see breastfeeding as more than a feeding choice but a powerful preventive medicine...oh ya, that's free.

Strategy #4
Facilitate peer support and education among moms and infants enrolled in WIC (Women, Infants and Children) participants especially women of color who statistically are less likely to breastfeed at all or will stop after a very short time.

• Our coalition;
• Funds peer counselors for the Douglas County WIC offices so that peer moms can support one another through breastfeeding
• Support groups and prenatal counseling are also important parts of the WIC outreach provided for moms and infants

Strategy #4
Target moms with a social marketing campaign that promotes the importance of breastfeeding and normalizing breastfeeding for all families.

• Our coalition;
• Is now conducting a breastfeeding survey among new and expectant moms to find out what messages will promote the practice, raise their comfort level and give them the necessary support.
• Once this research is complete, a social marketing campaign will be created for moms targeted at their time of decision making and difficult times they may encounter during breastfeeding.

So this is a lot of information, but it's intended to show you how this Healthier Communities team at Alegent Health and our many community partners are making an impact on a health issue that can help promote the health of mom, baby and reduce future health care costs.

Click here for Part 1 of this blog.

Breastfeeding

WHAT!?! Yes, breastfeeding.

Are you blushing yet? Well, I do, so don't be afraid to admit the truth.

My discomfort with breastfeeding dates back to when I was 19 years old and serving at the Olive Garden. I was helping a Latino family order their lunch when a very beautiful, young mom whipped out her breast right in front of me and started breastfeeding. I tried to speak, but just stuttered..."uh, uh, uh...I will be right back." I couldn't go back to their table for a long time. I was so embarrassed. My next run-in with "breasts" was when I was walking down the hallway at Alegent Health Midlands Hospital. I passed a room of about 20 moms all breastfeeding openly at the same time. 20 breasts + 20 babies = a nervous laugh and red face.

It was all too much for me. I got sweaty and even felt a bit nauseous.  I was walking with a breastfeeding mom who assured me that it was a beautiful thing, but for a young gal not ready for babies, it all seemed quite foreign and super X-rated. (It turns out that this was a support group for moms to combat the common feeling that baby isn't getting any milk. They weigh the baby before and after and show the moms that all the babies received about the same oz. of milk...enough milk for their needed nutrition.)

After these odd experiences and little education you can see how my discomfort began to build into a phobia. Not to mention that all of these experiences are built on the fact that for many young women, like me, breasts are not seen as feeding tools. They are portrayed in the media as sexual objects, and they are a body part of contention for those of us who reached puberty at age 25. Yes, it's sad but true.

When I found that breastfeeding is a key strategy for my team and their fight against childhood obesity, I said to myself, 'deep breath, here we go'. I knew that in theory I supported the health benefits that result from breastfeeding, but I needed to see the hard, cold facts in order to begin to change my perception and raise my comfort level.

First, I called my Mom and yep, I was breastfed. I watched this YouTube video featuring many hollywood women who support breastfeeding.  It's cute, check it out. I read the Surgeon Generals' call to action to support breastfeeding. I learned that breast milk is the best way to inoculate your newborn against all types of diseases and reduces allergies and infections. Breastfeeding also reduces a child's risk of obesity by 40% and helps stimulate a baby's brain growth. Moms burn 500 calories a day and reduce their risk of breast cancer and other cancers...With each fact, the awkward giggles subsided and I felt a greater peace with breastfeeding. Finally, I read that if US moms breastfed their babies for up to 6 months, our nation would save an estimated $13 billion in health care costs. I was shocked. (Click here for CDC source on these facts)

I had no idea that working my dream job in public health would lead to such a personal issue. My team assures me that it's good that I share these things so that they can better understand how to reach "my generation". I think that's funny. :) It turns out that breastfeeding is a really good thing for mom, baby and our health care system. So if you know a mom who is giving this a try, encourage her, support her and for goodness sakes do not run away at an Olive Garden and have a panic attack in the kitchen. I am a reformed breastfeeding supporter and am proud that Alegent Health and Live Well Omaha Kids is doing so much to support it (more on this later).

Although, I am far away from considering having children, I like to think that I will try breastfeeding and know how to reach support around me when times are tough.

If you are curious about resources, check out the list below:

• 24-hour breastfeeding help line 1-800-LALECHE
• Recent Nebraska LB that allows moms to breastfeed anywhere they have a right to be
• More facts and resources at Best for Babies.org
• Alegent Health Lactaction Consultants Click any campus near you. They are the experts.

If you have had a horrifying experience or am a supporter, post your thoughts here. Talking about it, helps reduce the stigma and show support for moms no matter their breastfeeding choice.