Las Cruces Bulletin Breastfeeding Article

This article appeared in the Las Cruces Bulletin 08/22/2008, Page A21

Babies need the right nutrients
for a healthy start

August is breastfeeding awareness month

BY BETHANY CONWAY
The Las Cruces Bulletin

For those new and expecting mothers out there, August is breastfeeding awareness month - a time to bring attention to the importance of breastfeeding, especially within those first six months after a baby is born.

For Las Cruces mothers Kara Montoya, who gave birth to her first baby, Nathanael, less than a month ago,
and Jane Bloom, whose son Rowan is nine months old, breastfeeding has come with different challenges,
but the rewards are tenfold.

Reported to raise a child's IQ by at least 10 points, breastfeeding also promotes proper growth and
development, protects against colds and flu, ear infections, allergies and obesity and, to top it off, a mother
can lose 500 calories a day doing it.

"What's more important than sitting down and nursing your baby and giving him the best nutrients possible,"
Bloom said. "I think it really supports that attachment and bonding."

In order to help spread awareness on breastfeeding, the Southern New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force has
some recommendations for mothers on breaking past the "barriers to breastfeeding" and promoting proper
nutrition among infants.

While mothers might be busy in their daily lives, experts say there is always time to breastfeed.

"It doesn't all go perfectly right away, so we always encourage moms not to worry and to take their time,"
said Kathy Douglas, a lactation consultant with Women's Medical Associates and a member of the task force.

Though some babies like Montoya's are born prematurely and therefore have a harder time adjusting to
breastfeeding, it is important that mothers be persistent.

"Don't give up on it. Do what you need to do, and it will get better," Montoya said.

According to members of the breastfeeding task force, which is comprised of professionals and community
representatives from organizations like the New Mexico Pediatric Society, the New Mexico
Public Health Division, La Leche League and WIC, support from professionals as well as
a woman's partner is essential.

"If a woman's partner is supportive of breastfeeding, she will be a lot more successful," said
lactation consultant Debra Kemp.

Of major importance is that women know there are public policies that support breastfeeding in public
as well as the work place. One of the major goals of the task force is to let women know what resources
are out there including one of the major programs in southern New Mexico - WIC. The WIC program sees
60 percent of New Mexico's infants and served 112,611 New Mexicans (6 percent of the population)
from July 2005 to June 2006.

According to their website, from almost 30 clinic sites across New Mexico, some 40 WIC breastfeeding peer
counselors are visiting, educating and encouraging moms to initiate breastfeeding and to continue to breastfeed
their babies through the first year. Mothers who cannot afford breast pumps, which cost anywhere from $30 to
more than $300, can be issued one through WIC.

For more information on the Southern New Mexico Breastfeeding Task Force,
call Kathy Douglas at 522-9793. For more information on WIC,
visit their website at www.health.state.nm.us/phd/wicsite/index.php.