Posted: 7/30/2018
World Breastfeeding Week Fair at Parkland offers information, support
Asunción Guerra, 22, of Coppell gave birth to healthy twins at Parkland Memorial Hospital in early July. Even before becoming pregnant, Guerra knew she wanted to breastfeed when she became a mother. “I learned about the health benefits of breastfeeding while doing research for a college course,” she said. “That, along with information from the Parkland lactation consultants during my prenatal appointments really helped me understand the benefits of breastfeeding for babies and moms.”
Breastfeeding is recognized by health experts as the best source of nutrition for most infants. “At Parkland we are committed to promoting breastfeeding with education, assistance and encouragement,” said Valencia Moore, RN, IBCLC, and Lactation Consultant Supervisor at Parkland. “Breastfeeding provides health benefits for both babies and mothers.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics agrees. Human milk provides virtually all the protein, sugar and fat babies need to be healthy and provides substances that protect them against a wide variety of diseases and infections. The benefits can be seen not only while breastfeeding, but in some cases, long after being weaned. Formula cannot offer this protection.
“Most importantly, breastfeeding reduces maternal and child mortality,” Moore added. According to the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), in low and medium-income countries, babies who were breastfed had 21 percent lower risk of death in their first year, compared with babies who were never breastfed.
For breastfeeding mothers, the benefits are beyond emotional satisfaction. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, mothers who breastfeed recover from childbirth more quickly and easily, experience reduced rates of breast and ovarian cancer later in life and have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and cardiovascular disease, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol.
“Another added benefit for mothers is weight loss,” Moore said. “Moms can burn anywhere from 500 to 700 calories daily from breastfeeding alone.”
World Breastfeeding Week is celebrated Aug. 1-7, and this year’s theme is Breastfeeding: Foundation of Life. In observance of this celebration, Parkland will host its annual Breastfeeding Awareness and Community Fair on Wednesday, Aug. 1, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the private dining room at Parkland Memorial Hospital, 5200 Harry Hines Blvd., Dallas, 75235. The event is free and open to the public.
“We want to encourage families to come to our fair and learn as much as they can about the value of breastfeeding,” Moore said. Among the groups participating in the Parkland fair will be Mother’s Milk Bank of Texas, the Family Place, Dallas County Health Department and several departments from Parkland’s Women & Infants’ Specialty Health.
In addition to educating mothers who deliver their babies at Parkland, Parkland staff worked for years to obtain the Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Designation, which benefits employees, their families and an entire workforce, Moore said. “These facilities provide private lactation areas and offer the services of lactation consultants. This enables mothers to return to work while still providing breast milk to their babies.”
Parkland is also a Texas Ten Step (TTS) designated hospital. The Texas Ten Step program provides resources and a framework to help birthing facilities improve health outcomes for lactating women and their infants. The designation recognizes hospitals implementing policies aligned with the World Health Organization and UNICEF’s Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
The Aug. 1 fair is just a part of Parkland’s efforts to provide a supportive environment for breastfeeding mothers. Parkland also conducts breastfeeding classes in both English and Spanish on the first Saturday of every month. For more information about these classes and to register, call 214-590-2323.
Guerra said she hopes other mothers consider breastfeeding and seek as much information as they can. “It’s all worth it,” she said.
For more information, please visit www.parklandhospital.com.