Events promote benefits of breast-feeding
In conjunction with the start of World Breastfeeding Week, Montana health officials announced Monday that more than 90 percent of Montana moms with newborns said they have opted to breast-feed — a statistic that hovers well above the national average.
The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services released the study on Monday that determined Montana has the fourth-highest rate of breastfeeding in the nation. The national average is 79.2 percent.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life and continued breastfeeding with complementary foods until a child is at least one year old.
Kate Girard of the state’s Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children said while Montana is ahead of the rest of the United States for attempting to breast-feed, that statistic drops well before the six-month recommendation.
“Montana mothers recognize the important health benefits to breast-feeding. The challenge is to provide them the needed support and resources to enable them to meet their goals beyond initiation,” Girard said.
According to the report, at three months of age, 53 percent of Montana children are breast-fed. While that’s still above the national average of 40.7 percent, it’s below Girard’s expectations.
On Thursday, Women, Infants and Children, the Nurturing Center and the Flathead Valley Breast-feeding Coalition will host “It’s All About Our Kids,” an event aligned with World Breastfeeding Week to support new or potential moms trying to understand their options as a parents and connect them with resources when breastfeeding gets difficult.
Cindy Walp, the director of North Valley Hospital’s Birth Center and member of the coalition, said the event aims to protect, promote, and support breast-feeding in the Flathead community.
“We’re not here to make anyone feel bad. There are some moms who can’t breast-feed,” Walp said. “But we’re here to tell people about the benefits of breast-feeding and tell them they have the right to do it — it’s actually illegal for someone to tell you you can’t breast-feed in a public place.”
“It’s All About Our Kids” will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Depot Park in Kalispell. It will include games, vendors, food, face painting, book reading and raffles. Other event participants include the Kalispell Regional Medical Center Birthing Center and The Community Birth Center.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, breast-feeding protects babies from infections and illnesses that include diarrheal diseases, ear infections and pneumonia.
The academy also compiled a series of possible benefits, such as breast-fed babies are less likely to develop asthma, the process promotes good jaw and tooth development and promotes a close mother-baby bond.
Walp said in a society that considers breast-feeding in public inappropriate, many women feel uncomfortable nursing outside their homes. She said when a woman has to feed her baby every few hours, an already difficult process can feel impossible when a mom has to look for an isolated place to nurse.
“There’s a lot of misconceptions out there, and we’re trying to help get the empowerment these people need to feel comfortable feeding their babies as if they were feeding their child at a restaurant,” Walp said. “It’s also important to educate the public so a woman isn’t asked to get into the bathroom because of other people’s discomfort.”
Reporter Katheryn Houghton may be reached at 758-4436 or by email at khoughton@dailyinterlake.com.