LLL USA Leader Activity In relation to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding” July 1- December 31, 2011

LLL USA Leader Activity

In relation to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding”

July 1- December 31, 2011

By Brenda Bandy

Action Step 1: Give mothers the support they need to breastfeed their babies.

Implementation Strategies:

• Help pregnant women to learn about the importance of breastfeeding for their babies and themselves.
• Teach mothers to breastfeed.
• Encourage mothers to talk to their maternity care providers about plans to breastfeed.
• Support mothers to have time and flexibility to breastfeed.
• Encourage mothers to ask for help with breastfeeding when needed.

· La Leche League USA hosted over 7500 discussion group meetings in over 1250 locations throughout the U.S. in the last six months of 2011, serving over 45,800 mothers. LLL meetings help women learn about breastfeeding, prepare for a good start and overcome common breastfeeding challenges.

· LLL Leaders responded to over 82,000 requests for information outside of regular meetings in the period of July 1 –December 31, 2011.

· LLL USA held over 95 breastfeeding conferences, providing families and the general public with breastfeeding education. Over 2000 parents attended these events.

· Over 100 LLL groups are now using social media to further reach and support mothers.

Action 2. Develop programs to educate fathers and grandmothers about breastfeeding.

Implementation Strategies:

• Launch or establish campaigns for breastfeeding education that target a mother's primary support network, including fathers and grandmothers.
• Offer classes on breastfeeding that are convenient for family members to attend.

· LLL USA welcomed fathers at over 650 meetings in the last half of 2011. Over 600 fathers attended.

· LLL USA held over 95 educational events, serving over 300 fathers.

Action 3. Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.

Implementation Strategies:

• Create and maintain a sustainable infrastructure for mother-to-mother support groups and for peer counseling programs in hospitals and community health care settings.

· 53 continuing education programs were held for LLL Leaders. Over 740 LLL Leaders participated.

Action 9. Provide education and training in breastfeeding for all health professionals who care for women and children.

Implementation Strategies:

• Improve the breastfeeding content in undergraduate and graduate education and training for health professionals.
• Establish and incorporate minimum requirements for competency in lactation care into health professional credentialing, licensing, and certification processes.
• Increase opportunities for continuing education on the management of lactation to ensure the maintenance of minimum competencies and skills.

· LLL USA hosted five continuing education programs for health care providers, providing breastfeeding education to approximately 470 health care providers in the last six months of 2011.

Good news, the TSA has revised it's policy that determines liquid carry-ons for breastmilk

Good news, the TSA has revised it's policy that determines liquid carry-ons for breastmilk (it also includes juice and formula). This is a big deal, especially for those moms who work and travel.

If you don't have time to read this right now (it is short though) the main point is that Mothers are now able to carry on more than 3oz WITH or WITHOUT their baby. There are some guidelines but it doesn't look like there is any "catch". Here's the article

http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/airtravel/children/formula.shtm

No meeting tonight-

No meeting tonight- I have a sick kido:( Please call if you have questions or need support! Sarah B. 540-361-4749

Could this assist you?

Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

WIC is a supplemental food and nutrition education program that provides vouchers to
purchase specific foods. It provides nutrition counseling to pregnant, postpartum, or
breastfeeding women, infants, and children under age five with nutritional and financial needs.
Your child’s doctor or EPSDT screening providers must refer eligible infants and children to the
local health department for additional information and a WIC eligibility determination.
The Virginia Department of Health's Nutrition Services Team is committed to practicing and
promoting good health. Contact the Nutrition Services Team at 1-888-942-3663.


Head Start

Head Start is a federally funded pre-school program that serves low-income children and their
families. Contact your local school division for more information.

Healthy Start

Some areas in Virginia have high amounts of babies born with low birth weights, late-term
miscarriages, infant deaths, and births to teenage mothers. Pregnant women in these areas
are often unable to see doctors because they do not have insurance or enough insurance. The
Virginia Healthy Start Initiative (VHSI) is designed to reduce infant deaths in these urban and
rural areas and small towns: Norfolk, Petersburg, Portsmouth, and Westmoreland County.
Information about Healthy Start can be obtained by contacting the Healthy Start Program
Coordinator at the VDH Division of Women’s and Infant’s Health at 804-864-7764.

Early Intervention Program

Early intervention services, also known as “Part C” of the Individuals with Disabilities Act
(IDEA), are available throughout Virginia to help infants and toddlers from birth through age
two who are not developing as expected or who have a medical condition that can delay
normal development. For more information, visit the Early Intervention Program website at
www.infantva.org or call the toll-free number 1-800-234-1448.

Resource Mothers Program

Teenagers are a group at high risk for poor birth outcomes, both medically and socially. The
Resource Mothers Program trains and supervises laywomen to serve as a social support for
pregnant teenagers and teenage parents of infants. The program helps low-income pregnant
teenagers get prenatal care and other community services, follow good health care practices,
continue in school, and encourage the involvement of the infant’s father and teens’ parents to
create a stable, nurturing home. For further information, contact the Division of Women’s and
Infants’ Health, Virginia Department of Health at 804-864-7768

Our 2011 Project:)

LLL Stafford/Quantico is happy to report that the World Breastfeeding Week Committee’s grant money was deposited and spent in full. Seeking the best deals possible, we ordered 20 copies of Breastfeeding in Combat Boots directly from Hale Publishing and also 28 copies of The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, 10th edition from Amazon.com.

The following books have been distributed:

Central Rappahannock Library System (serving areas including South and North Stafford, Virginia) accepted copies of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and copies of Breastfeeding in Combat Boots.

Quantico Base library accepted copies of the Womanly Art of Breastfeeding and copies of Breastfeeding in Combat Boots.

The remaining majority of books were accepted at the Quantico Base Naval Relief Society where Parenting classes and new parent orientation is undergone. The New Parent Support Program offers classes and in-home support to new parents. We are thrilled to help add to their lending library.

Thank you again for this grant to help our moms in the Stafford/Quantico area!

ALMOST HERE!

Can't wait!!!!! See you tomorrow at our BIG LATCH ON!!!!!!!!!!

Sign in Volunteers please come at 9:00 am

Attendees:
9:30-10:15- Check in
10:16-10:28 settle in
10:30-10:31 LATCH ON
10:32-12:00 Silent Auction/ Raffles/Playground Play/Eating Snacks
12:05-12:20 Settle/Check out/Pay/ Wrap out/Thank you Closing
12:30 Start cleaning up and head out:)

Thanks in Advance!!!!!!!!

Statement from Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin on World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2011

http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2011pres/01/20110120a.html

News Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 1, 2011

Contact: HHS Press Office (202) 690-6343

Statement from Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin on World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2011

World Breastfeeding Week provides an opportunity to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding and to encourage everyone to support mothers who want to breastfeed. One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant and herself is to breastfeed. It protects babies from many infections and illnesses, such as diarrhea and pneumonia. Children who have been breastfed have lower rates of childhood obesity. Mothers who breastfeed have a decreased risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
The decision to breastfeed is a personal one, and a mother should not be made to feel guilty if she cannot or chooses not to breastfeed. But given the importance of breastfeeding for the health and well-being of mothers and children, we need to do what we can to help mothers who want to breastfeed to do so successfully.
Earlier this year, I released the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding which outlines steps that can be taken to remove some of the obstacles faced by women who want to breastfeed their babies.
The Affordable Care Act has made significant progress to support breastfeeding,which include historic new insurance guidelines that will ensure millions of women receive preventive health services without a co-pay or deductible. These new guidelines, developed by the independent Institute of Medicine, require insurance companies to cover certain women’s preventive services, including breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling.
In addition, the ACA amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 by having employers provide reasonable break time and a place, other than a restroom, that is private and clean for a mother to express milk.
I hope World Breastfeeding Week will spark conversations and efforts that will support women who want to breastfeed.
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To learn more about the Affordable Care Act, visit www.healthcare.gov. To learn more about the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, visit http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/topics/breastfeeding/index.html.
For more information on breastfeeding, go to www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/. To speak with a breastfeeding counselor call 1-800-994-9662 Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM ET.