Welcome to World Breastfeeding Week and National Breastfeeding Month! We celebrate this important month in our newsletter with an overview of the weekly observances, local celebrations, information and resources around human milk and breast/chest feeding, resources and support groups, findings from our MCAH Needs Assessment and upcoming educational opportunities.

This newsletter also contains two recordings of local radio station interviews with Lucy Tyrala and an interview in Spanish with Yeimmy Esquivel, WIC peer counselor, in honor of World Breastfeeding Week and WIC's 50th anniversary celebration! Plus a fun little bonus at the very end.

Local Breastfeeding Celebrations:

Sonoma County WIC is partnering with the WIC program at Sonoma County Indian Health Project to celebrate their 50th Anniversary and World Breastfeeding Week! WIC families are invited to attend this celebration happening at the WIC Farmers Market on August 1st. See the flyer below.

We (MCAH) joined Sonoma County WIC and the WIC program at Sonoma County Indian Health Project to receive a Gold Resolution from the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors acknowledging the importance of Breast/Chest feeding and the commitment we all need to make to ensure ALL Breast/Chest feeding individuals have access to continuous support throughout their feeding journey.

Why do we say chest and chest feeding? Click Here.

Local Radio Stations Highlight World Breastfeeding Week!

During the interviews, Lucy and Yeimmy both discussed the importance of chest/breastfeeding and World Breastfeeding week and National Breastfeeding Month and its significance. They shared information, addressed breastfeeding myths, and offered guidance as to where and when families could and should obtain support in Sonoma County. Click here for Lucy's recording in English and here for Yeimmy's recording in Spanish.

Breast/Chest feeding Information and Resources



Did You Know?

• Human milk contains many hundreds to thousands of distinct bioactive molecules that protect against infection and inflammation and contribute to immune maturation, organ development, and healthy microbial colonization. (Ballard O, Morrow Al. Pediatr Clin North Am. 2013.)
• Newborns have a strong sense of smell and know the unique scent of their mother/parent's breast/chest milk.
• Most medications are safe to take while Breastfeeding/Chest feeding. Click here for the website Infant Risk Center to search information on most drugs and identify any potential risks. There is also a phone number to speak to someone directly. 1-806-352-2519, M-F, 10am to 3pm PST

• Individuals with HIV who are on ART (Antiretroviral Therapy) with a sustained undetectable viral load and who choose to breastfeed should be supported in this decision according to new guidelines in the US (HIV.gov)

Infant Feeding During Emergencies

As we live in a world where the risks of fires, floods and earthquakes among other natural disasters are more common than ever, it is so important that we equip our families with all of the available resources to ensure they can continue to meet the nutritional needs of their children. Click on the links below for the CDC Infants Feeding during Emergencies toolkit

IYCFE Toolkit

Breastfeeding is the safest way to feed a baby during an emergency. It provides the nutrients and infection protection that babies need.

Hand expression Is a safe and effective way to express milk during emergency or natural disaster situations.

Below are handouts you can click on about hand expression in both English and Spanish.

https://www.cdc.gov/infant-feeding-emergencies-toolkit/media/pdfs/hand-expression-handout-IYCF-E-508.pdf



https://www.cdc.gov/infant-feeding-emergencies-toolkit/media/pdfs/hand-expression-handout-toolkit-es-508.pdf

Infants unable to breastfeed or be fed expressed breast milk can be fed with RTF (ready to feed) infant formula. This is formula prepared with sterile water and then heat treated to protect against harmful bacteria. Unlike powdered formula, RFT does not require water to prepare. cdc.gov

Traveling with your Breast/Chest Feeding Infant

Are you planning to travel with your little one? Find travel information and recommendations for breast/chest feeding families here: https://bit.ly/2J5PvtY

Breast/Chest Feeding Support

The Sonoma County Breastfeeding Coalition offers a list of local Breast/Chest feeding resources and support groups here.

Free Virtual Black Breast feeding support. Hover over QR code above or

click here

A community space for chest/breastfeeding support where the Filipino experience is centered, hosted by the Asian and Pacific Islander Breastfeeding Taskforce. Hover over QR code above or click here.

Please refer your clients to Sarah Hollister's channel "Breastfeeding with Sarah" on YouTube. She is a local registered nurse and IBCLC working at The Gravenstein Health Clinic providing amazing support for her West County clients.

Sonoma County MCAH Needs Assessment Findings: Breast/Chesting Feeding

We asked professional respondents to our Needs Assessment survey about their knowledge around resources for breast/chestfeeding- only 57% of respondents reported that they knew where to send families in need of breast/chestfeeding support.  We also asked our professional respondents ranked the following as the top three reasons why they thought that individuals stopped breast/chest feeding by 3 months post-partum. They ranked the following as the top three reasons.  

• Returning to work/school or time away from child 
• Difficulty breastfeeding 
• Formula is more convenient 

How can we tailor our prenatal and postpartum education around breast/chestfeeding to help individuals feel more ready and more supported to meet their breast/chestfeeding goals? What can we do specifically to help support our BIPOC patients and clients? 

See Below for Educational Offerings

Register Here for Latch A-Z Event

Zoom Link Here:

Click Here to Register! CEU's provided.

Now turn up the volume if you can (or get those earbuds on) and enjoy this amazing song and share with your clients and everyone! You might want to even dance a little!

Teach Me How to Breastfeed by

Tanefer Lumukanda

Thank you for your time.

Enjoy the rest of your summer!