WIC Bits Breastfeeding - September 2008

1. 2009 State Breastfeeding Conference April 8-9, 2009
   1. "Breastfeeding Success is Everyone's Business"
2. Breastfeeding Is Smart Business Awards
   1. Receiving the awards were:
3. Events from Breastfeeding Promotion Month!
   1. Vermillion County
   2. Morgan County
   3. Roseland
   4. Marion County
   5. Douglas County
   6. Waukegan - Lake County Health Department
   7. Peoria - Central Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force
   8. Pike County
   9. Coordinated Youth & Human Services
   10. Robinson - Crawford County Health Department
   11. Carmel - Wabash County Health Department
   12. Decatur - Macon County Breastfeeding Task Force
   13. East St. Louis - Eastside Health Center
   14. Rockford - Rockford Region Breastfeeding Task Force

2009 State Breastfeeding Conference April 8-9, 2009

"Breastfeeding Success is Everyone's Business"

Save the Date for the 2009 State Breastfeeding Conference! The conference, "Breastfeeding Success is Everyone's Business" will be held at the Crowne Plaza in Springfield on April 8-9, 2009. Throughout the two-day conference, Cathy Carothers (formerly of Best Start) and other speakers will present sessions on:

• Improving duration rates with exclusive breastfeeding and practical strategies to help extend the duration of breastfeeding, including: what mothers need to successfully get out of the starting blocks, ways to clear the hurdles, and increasing stamina for the long haul.
• Strategies to support breastfeeding women when they return to work, including addressing the special needs of low-wage earners.
• Using the Business Case for Breastfeeding to increase workplace lactation support for employed breastfeeding women.
• What WIC is doing to promote exclusive breastfeeding in the early days & weeks, including the new breastfeeding food packages.
• Creative strategies, games, and visual tools to use to help mothers feel confident.
• How health care providers and systems can be partners in promoting and supporting exclusive breastfeeding in the first days and weeks

For additional information about the conference, contact Brenda brenda.snyder@illinois.gov or Melanie melanie.eader@illinois.gov.

Breastfeeding Is Smart Business Awards

The Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force honored twenty-seven area businesses with the 2008 "Breastfeeding is Smart Business Award". Nominated by the public, lactation consultants and members of area breastfeeding coalitions and task forces, the awards recognized businesses with established family-friendly breastfeeding policies.

In a variety of ways, these businesses have developed outstanding programs that support their employees. Some companies have provided a private lactation room with an electric pump, refrigerator for storing milk and flexible break times for pumping. Other companies are providing prenatal group classes and lactation counseling after delivery. Still others exhibit the "Breastfeeding Welcome Here" sticker on their doors and windows. Women shopping at these stores know they won't be embarrassed or asked to leave when they nurse their baby.

Presented at various locations around the state, the businesses were honored through regional task force receptions, open houses and local breastfeeding celebrations during World Breastfeeding Week and Illinois Breastfeeding Month in August.

Receiving the awards were:

Events from Breastfeeding Promotion Month!

Many agencies and task forces celebrated World Breastfeeding Week and Illinois Breastfeeding Month with parties, celebrations, give-aways, health fairs, walks, zoo visits, informational handouts, displays at local malls or libraries, media events, breastfeeding bulletin boards and many other outreach activities. The following are a small sampling of the activities that took place throughout Illinois during World Breastfeeding Week and Illinois Breastfeeding Month.

Vermillion County

Nancy Lyman, RN, BSN, PHN, CLC, decorated cupcakes with pink icing and a sour cherry candy drop on top of each one. These left room for one's imagination, caught one's attention and looked similar to the "breasts" on the "Breastfeeding is Baby's Best Start "posters showing the ice cream sundae with cherries on top. In all, fourteen dozen cupcakes were made and distributed to the Obstetrics Department in the local hospital, Provena United Samaritan's Medical Center, local pediatricians and family practice offices as well as the local radio station, D102.

Vermilion County also hosted a Children's Health, Safety, & Activity Fair sponsored by the HALO Project (A Healthy Community Initiative Sponsored by Provena United Samaritans Medical Center Foundation) on August 23rd. A poster board presentation showing beautiful pictures of women breastfeeding their babies was on display as an opportunity to emphasize breastfeeding and answer questions in the community.

Morgan County

Over the past year Jone Schumacher, Breastfeeding Coordinator has developed a small network of providers that work with Morgan County participants to provide breast pumps. "We weren't successful with breastpump dealers in Jacksonville, so she used one provider in Pittsfield, and one in Quincy. Jone worked out arrangements for contact and shipping, and was truly tenacious in working out the details and persisting in getting a pharmacy in Jacksonville to provide this service," states Mary Leach, MCH Coordinator. "Jone went to a local providers and showed them all the business that they could get by participating. The bottom line is we now have a pharmacy in town that will carry the Pump-n-Style so that we can obtain pumps for our participants in a more expeditious manner. Her bulldog tenacious passion for the mothers and babies and the benefits of breastfeeding has resulted in a real win."

Roseland

The Roseland Hospital WIC Program hosted their 2nd annual "Pamper Me Breastfeeding Tea". Those attending included pregnant clients, breastfeeding mothers and babies, their supporting families, breastfeeding advocates and the vice president of Roseland Hospital. To promote, initiate, and embrace Breastfeeding in our Community, we provided education, lunch, tea, manicures to our guests. One highlight of our Breastfeeding Tea was a Belly Casting Event. An experienced Doula provided a pregnant client an unforgettable keepsake. The greatest highlight and benefit was providing African American families positive, breastfeeding curriculum, and to learn the 5 circles of support were committed to going for the Gold -"Breastfeed or support breastfeeding". By week's end, one discouraged mom relactated, and some attended the Chicago Breastfeeding Task force Annual Breastfeeding Walkathon and Picnic.

Marion County

A professional photographer took pictures of WIC moms and their babies, together and individually, at each WIC clinic location. The photographer recently completed a course entitled "Bellies and Babies". She did a great job of capturing each dyad's individuality! She provided special promotional packages for the participants. One client from each site won a free package of pictures.

A client submitted a short story about her breastfeeding experience, which was put in the local newspaper along with her picture to publicize the event. Refreshments and breastfeeding items were given away. All participants received a Maya Baby Wrap.

Douglas County

Using the 2008 WBW theme "Mother Support: Going for the Gold" Denise Kielhorn, BFPC, CLC made over 600 breastfeeding placemats to distribute to 16 local 'sit down' restaurants within Douglas County. Each restaurant was given 25-50 placemats to utilize during World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7. Through this unique promotion, diners throughout the county learned a little more about breastfeeding!

Waukegan - Lake County Health Department

Breastfeeding celebrations with food and fun! Held two times on August 6th with the theme "Supporting Moms: Going for the Gold." A breastfeeding bingo game, designed by the Peer Counselor had bingo card pictures related to the benefits of breastfeeding for moms and babies. The pieces for marking the squares on the bingo cards were chocolate candy nuggets in gold wrappers for "Going for the Gold." Prizes for the game winners included bibs, onesies and handle bags with breastfeeding messages. Events included group discussion and sharing of breastfeeding experiences.

Peoria - Central Illinois Breastfeeding Task Force

"A Journey through Breastfeeding" held at Festival Park on the Peoria Riverfront, 4:00 - 7:00 pm. Lots of food, fun and prizes, discussions, information and giveaways. Presentation of the Smart Business Awards to eight Region 3 businesses.

Pike County

During WBW, Pike County staffed a breastfeeding information table and handed out "goody bags" in the baby section at the local Wal-Mart store. Lucinda Hoehne, CLC, Senior Breastfeeding Peer Counselor shared breastfeeding information over the airwaves during the local radio station (WBBA) Coffee Break program. Information packets were delivered to doctor's offices throughout Pike county and a breastfeeding open house was held at the health department.

Coordinated Youth & Human Services

Throughout Illinois Breastfeeding Month, agency staff wore breastfeeding lanyards to promote to all participants that "Breast is Best". All breastfeeding women coming in for their regular appointments received a breastfeeding "goody bag" and a special chocolate chip cookie. These activities were capped off with a breastfeeding party with games, snacks and prizes.

Robinson - Crawford County Health Department

During August, breastfeeding tote bags and pens were distributed to breastfeeding and pregnant clients and area hospitals. Dad's gift bags were also distributed to Dads of breastfed babies to recognize their support of breastfeeding.

Carmel - Wabash County Health Department

To celebrate breastfeeding month, all pregnant and breastfeeding moms received a gold bow with a card about the benefits of breastfeeding. Peer Counselor information and breastfeeding tote bags were distributed to area hospitals.

Decatur - Macon County Breastfeeding Task Force

Macon County Breastfeeding Task Force hosted the 3rd Annual World Breastfeeding Week Celebration at Scovill Zoo on Wednesday, August 6, 2008. The event was held in the Shilling Education Center and over 500 people attended this year. Activities for children included face painting, bracelet making, and a special coloring station. An ongoing slide show featured a variety of nursing animals. Beautiful donated gift baskets were given out every half-hour to winning participants. Gold medals, designed by Brandy O'Connor, nursing mom and task force member, were proudly given to mothers who met the GOLD Standard of nursing their babies 6 months and beyond. Gold medal recipients also had a family photo taken and printed to keep as a memento of their special choice to breastfeed.

East St. Louis - Eastside Health Center

As a fun way to learn about breastfeeding, staff developed a quiz with questions about common breastfeeding myths. All pregnant clients completed the quiz, discussed their answers with staff and received a small prize.

Rockford - Rockford Region Breastfeeding Task Force

To celebrate breastfeeding month, Swedish American Hospital hosted a Lunch-n-Learn. Over 50 participants attended, including physicians, nurses, WIC CHP's, and Winnebago County Health Department Staff. Erin Fisher, a clinical psychologist, presented "PTSD After Traumatic Birth: Breastfeeding & Attachment Issues". The presentation was taped so that additional staff not present at the luncheon could also learn about this important issue.