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Giving Your Baby a Healthy Start According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breastfeeding holds many benefits for both babies and mothers. Fortunately, Texas Health hospitals are committed to helping mothers in Texas who are having difficulties with breastfeeding.
The advantages of breastfeeding are widespread, benefiting mothers, babies and their surrounding communities. Breastfeeding benefits include:
• Decreased risk of infectious diseases for babies
• Earlier return to pre-pregnancy weight for mothers
• Lower chance of suffering from post-partum depression for mothers
• Decreased health care costs in the community
• Decreased parental employee absenteeism
“Texas Health hospitals offer a wide variety of services to help mothers breastfeed, including international board-certified lactation consultants, inpatient and outpatient classes on breastfeeding and returning to work, as well as outpatient consultation and phone follow up,” says Jean Paicurich, M.D., OB/GYN on the medical staff at Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Stephenville. “Breastfeeding can be challenging at first, but mothers can prepare by reading, taking classes and building a support system.”
The World Health Organization recognized Texas Health hospitals in Allen, Hurst-Euless-Bedford and Stephenville for taking a comprehensive approach to supporting breastfeeding by designating all three facilities as Baby-Friendly hospitals.
“Mothers should consult a lactation consultant, their OB/GYN or their pediatrician before discontinuing breastfeeding,” says Paicurich. “It’s a special gift mothers can give their babies.”
For information about breastfeeding support at a Texas Health hospital, please visit TexasHealth.org/breastfeeding or call 1-877-THR-WELL (1-877-847-9355).
(Fall/Winter 2009) |
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