This year's World Breastfeeding week, Oct. 1 to 7, promotes the three different dimension of breastfeeding support: time, place and communication.
The 2011 theme, "Talk to me! Breastfeeding - a 3D experience," is being promoted by Prairie North Health Region .
"World Breastfeeding Week is the perfect time to communicate with mothers, breastfeeding advocates, communities, health professionals, governments, aid agencies, donors and the media on how they can actively support breastfeeding," said Stacey Wiens, PNHR Public Health Nutritionist.
"The week also serves to protect, promote and support breastfeeding as the optimal method of infant feeding, and emphasizes that breastfeeding provides benefits for both mother and baby."
Prairie North's emphasis during this year's World Breastfeeding Week is on communication. Wiens encourages PNHR residents to start a dialogue about breastfeeding in their communities.
"Each of us can play an important role in supporting breastfeeding, as we are all caregivers, mentors or supportive family members," Wiens said.
The aim is to involve individuals, including youth and men, who may not typically participate in breastfeeding discussions. For breastfeeding mothers, support is vital for continuation of breastfeeding. Wiens explained communicating with fathers and youth can help encourage support of breastfeeding mothers and encourage mothers to continue breastfeeding until the infant is two years of age and beyond, as recommended by the World Health Organization.
"Fathers play a vital role in supporting breastfeeding, as with their help, mothers are more likely to continue the practice. Encouraging youths to become interested in breastfeeding awareness, promotion and support may help to encourage these individuals to breastfeed in the future," said Wiens.
PNHR is distributing a book, My New Baby, to all libraries in the health region to help promote and increase knowledge about breastfeeding. Additionally, the North Battleford, Lloydminster and Meadow Lake Libraries will jointly be holding a Breastfeeding Colouring Contest during World Breastfeeding Week. The colouring contest teaches toddlers and preschoolers how they can "help" mom while she is breastfeeding.
Exclusively breastfed infants have a lower risk of chronic disease including obesity, diabetes, cancer and heart disease, as well as a lower risk of ear infections, and asthma/allergies. Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing complete nutrition to babies. Breast milk not only provides the perfect nutrition for babies, it is convenient, portable, always served at the right temperature, sanitary and economical.
Breastfeeding also provides health benefits to the nursing mother, such as decreasing the risk of breast and ovarian cancer, and helping mom return to her pre-pregnancy weight. Breast milk is also custom made to meet the changing nutritional requirements of the growing baby.
