Breastfeeding Week is being officially launched in the province today to ensure that new parents are aware that, when it comes to nutrition, the best food for babies is breast milk.
Health and Social Services Minister Jamie Ballem advised that increased breastfeeding for babies is a key action area identified in PEI's Healthy Child Development Strategy. "Breastfeeding is an important factor in ensuring that our children are given every opportunity to grow up as healthy as possible."
"More than two decades of research have established that breast milk provides perfect infant nutrition and protects babies from illness," said Minister Ballem. "Human milk contains at least 100 ingredients not found in formula and contains just the right amount of nutrients needed for digestion, brain development and growth."
"Breastfed infants have lower rates of hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies and other medical problems," he said.
Rita Arsenault, chair of the PEI Breastfeeding Coalition, indicated that breastfeeding also creates a special bond between a mother and her baby. "Infants feel very comforted when they are cuddled and held close while breastfeeding."
"Breastfed babies enjoy a sense of security from the warmth and presence of their mother, especially when there is skin-to-skin contact during feeding," said Ms. Arsenault. "Nursing becomes more than just a way to feed a baby, it's a source of comfort and affection."
Some of the activities to celebrate the week which runs from October 1-7 include bulletins board displays, the development of a brochure entitled Breastfeeding your Baby, and the launch of a designated space for breastfeeding at the Tignish Co-op.
Peggy Flynn, a mom who breastfed her three children, indicated that breastfeeding is good for mothers as well as for babies. "There are no bottles to sterilize and no formula to buy, measure and mix. It may also be easier for a nursing mother to lose weight gained during pregnancy, since nursing uses up extra calories."
"A nursing mother is also forced to get needed rest," she advised. "She must sit down, put her feet up, and relax every few hours to nurse. Nursing at night is easy as well. No one has to stumble to the refrigerator for a bottle and warm it while the baby cries. If she's lying down, a mother can doze while she nurses."
"Breastfeeding is economical also," said Ms. Flynn. "Even though a nursing mother consumes extra calories, the extra food for her is less expensive than buying formula for the baby. Nursing saves money while providing the best nourishment possible for the baby."
"Above all, nursing is liberating," she said. "Breast milk is always available; it's always the right temperature; and you can nurse anywhere, anytime as long as your baby is with you."
The PEI Breastfeeding Coalition has developed a strategic plan to foster strong and supportive families and communities by promoting breastfeeding as the cultural norm and the ideal choice of infant feeding on PEI.
For further information on breastfeeding or the PEI Breastfeeding Coalition, please contact Rita Arsenault at (902) 859-8723.