VANCOUVER, Wash. – It is said that breastfeeding is a mother’s gift to her baby that lasts a lifetime.
During World Breastfeeding Week, PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, will make sure those efforts are rewarded by presenting moms with some very special gifts of their own.
From Aug. 1-7, in addition to taking home their precious newborn, moms who deliver at the Family Birth Center will receive:
- A burp cloth crafted by PeaceHealth Southwest lactation nurse Anna Heath, RN. The cloths are made of soft, colorful flannel fabric donated by the Clark County Quilters Guild.
- A lactation cookie, baked by Simply Sweets in Vancouver. Lactation cookies are filled with natural ingredients that help boost and maintain a mother’s milk supply.
According to Maggi Leyburn, RN, lactation specialist at PeaceHealth Southwest, there are many benefits to breastfeeding, for both moms and babies.
“Breast milk is almost like a medicine” said Leyburn. “It helps stave off infections. That’s why I always say, ‘Some breast milk is better than none.’”
Breastfeeding benefits for baby:
- It gives them all of the nutrients they need, including personalized immune boosters.
- It provides a special bonding time with mom.
- It helps to develop their jaw and mouth muscles.
- It protects them from various health issues. Breastfed babies have less incidence or lower risk for diabetes, obesity, SIDS and allergies, among other conditions.
Breastfeeding benefits for mom:
- It reduces the risk of certain diseases and conditions, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, heart disease and diabetes.
- It provides a special bonding time with baby.
- It’s portable and always ready — no heating or stirring.
- It’s convenient and there’s less work (no need to sanitize nipples, bottles, etc., provide storage or refrigerate).
Breastfeeding doesn’t always come easy. Sometimes new mothers are physically unable to breastfeed due to complications with the breast or breast tissue, and adoptive parents may need special coaching on how best to feed their child with formula. Every case is different. PeaceHealth offers a variety of resources and classes to help make sure every mother of a newborn - who can and wants to breastfeed – will get the help they need to be successful.
For more information about breastfeeding, visit https://www.peacehealth.org/healthy-you/how-breastfeeding-helps-babies-and-moms.
About PeaceHealth: PeaceHealth, based in Vancouver, Wash., is a not-for-profit Catholic health system offering care to communities in Washington, Oregon and Alaska. PeaceHealth has approximately 16,000 caregivers, a group practice with more than 900 providers and 10 medical centers serving both urban and rural communities throughout the Northwest. In 1890, the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace founded what has become PeaceHealth. The Sisters shared expertise and transferred wisdom from one medical center to another, always finding the best way to serve the unmet need for healthcare in their communities. Today, PeaceHealth is the legacy of the founding Sisters and continues with a spirit of respect, stewardship, collaboration and social justice in fulfilling its Mission.
