August 1st to 7th marks World Breastfeeding Week, with August celebrated as Breastfeeding Month by the Henry and Stark County Health Departments and First Choice Healthcare. More than 120 countries participate in this observance, focusing on the theme “Prioritize Breastfeeding: Create Sustainable Support Systems.” Local WIC and Breastfeeding Peer Counselor programs emphasize the health and environmental benefits, highlighting that breast milk offers ideal nutrition for infants while reducing the risks of chronic diseases in mothers. WIC agencies across Illinois collaborate with healthcare providers to ensure families receive ongoing support.
Maggie Schmidt, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor with the Health Department, notes, “Benefits of breastfeeding are numerous, well known and research based. Babies who are breastfed are protected against respiratory and ear infections, asthma, allergies, childhood cancer, and obesity. Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers, diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.”
Across Illinois, local WIC agencies are strengthening community support for breastfeeding during World Breastfeeding Week and Month. Staff collaborate with hospitals, healthcare providers, and La Leche League chapters, ensuring mothers receive ongoing assistance after leaving the hospital and reentering daily routines. Educational resources and counseling begin before birth, and tailored guidance continues as families adjust at home. The statewide Breastfeeding Peer Counselor program offers mothers personalized, one-on-one support from experienced peers, addressing questions and concerns as they arise. This coordinated effort seeks to give newborns the healthiest start and empower mothers in their breastfeeding journey throughout the state.
Adds Schmidt, “What people have to remember is that there are so many benefits to breastfeeding. Even if new mothers are able to do it for only a short time, a baby’s immune system can benefit from breast milk. There are many other benefits of breast milk for a mother, her baby, and others.”
For those interested in learning more, information can be found by calling 309-852-5272. Details on support services and upcoming events are also available online at www.henrystarkhealth.com and on Facebook under “Henry and Stark County Breastfeeding Peer Counselor.” This initiative aims to provide guidance and encouragement to families, helping them make informed choices for their child’s nutrition and well-being.
BENEFITS FOR BABY:
- Breast milk is the most complete form of nutrition for infants. A mother’s milk has just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein that is needed for a baby’s growth and development. Babies find it easier to digest breast milk than they do formula.
- Premature babies do better when breastfed compared to premature babies who are fed formula.
- Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies who were born prematurely.
BENEFITS FOR MOM:
- Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose the pounds of pregnancy. It also helps the uterus to get back to its original size and lessens any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth.
- Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause.
- Breastfeeding makes your life easier. It saves time and money. You do not have to purchase, measure, and mix the formula. There are no bottles to warm in the middle of the night!
- Breastfeeding can help a mother bond with her baby. Physical contact is important to newborns and can help them feel more secure, warm, and comforted.
