Becoming a Breastfeeding Friendly Community Centre

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Becoming a Breastfeeding Friendly Community Centre

• Building a Breastfeeding Friendly
• Community Initiative

Meggie Ross, PHN Penticton Health Centre Pauline
Clark Janette Kendler UBC-O 4th year Nursing
students
Sponsored by
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Outline

• Breastfeeding recommendations
• Why breastfeeding is important
• Community support
• Breastfeeding and pools
• Role play

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Recommendations

• World Health Organization
• Health Canada
• Canadian Paediatric Society
• Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months
  of life for healthy term infants
• Continued breastfeeding for up to two years and
  beyond

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Why is Breastfeeding Important?

• It is how babies were meant to be fed!
• Healthier for baby
• Healthier for Mom
• Saves money for the family and health care system
• Better for the environment

Image Okanagan Breastfeeding Coalition
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Risks of Formula feeding

• For Baby, increased
• Diarrhea, haemophilus influenza, decreased
  vaccine response, Necrotizing enterocolitis,
  otitis media, herpes simplex, RSV, Respiratory
  infections (pneumonia, bronchitis), decreased
  immunologic response, GER, meningitis, SIDS,
  multiple sclerosis, inguinal hernia, allergy,
  eczema, asthma, lower IQ, reduced cognitive
  development, reduced social development, reduced
  dental health, diabetes, cancer, Crohns disease,
  Hodgkins disease, juvenile rheumatoid arthritis,
  ulcerative colitis, celiac disease, obesitiy.
• For Mother, increased
• Postpartum hemorrhage, breast cancer, uterine
  cancer, ovarian cancer, endometrial cancer,
  osteoporosis, increased insulin requirements,
  poorer emotional health, greater financial
  burden, lost days of employment caring for sick
  child.
• For Society increased
• Burden of illness, health care costs, negative
  environmental impact.

Image www.babymilkaction.org
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Mothers Need Our Support

• More than 90 of B.C. mothers start breastfeeding
  their newborns.
• Less than 1/3 continue to breastfeed exclusively
  for the recommended duration.
• Supportive environments are important for mothers
  to continue breastfeeding.

Image Okanagan Breastfeeding Coalition
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Breastfeeding in Public is Protected

• The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• The British Columbia Human Rights Code
• Nursing mothers have the right to
• breastfeed their children in a public area, and
  it is discriminatory to ask them to
• cover up or breastfeed somewhere else

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But it is not always welcomed

• Public breastfeeding may be a womans right, but
  public reaction is not always welcoming.
• Too frequently women are confronted, and
  subsequently embarrassed, for breastfeeding in
  public.

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WestJet
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H M
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YMCA
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Should a baby eat in a bathroom?
Image source unknown
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What happens when mothers are not supported to
breastfeed in public?
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Humiliating for mothers

• I was appalled that he could take something so
  innocent as feeding my baby and make it seem so
  wrong. It felt like I had committed a crime,
  everyone was staring at me. I was humiliated.
  (Heather, 2008)

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Bad for Business

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Unhealthy for Mothers and Babies

• When mothers arent supported in their community
  to breastfeed in public there is
• Increased formula feeding
• Shorter breastfeeding duration

Image www.deshiweb.com
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Building a Breastfeeding Friendly Community
Initiative

• All public places are encouraged to become
  Breastfeeding Friendly
• Community Centre
• Library
• City buildings
• Restaurants and coffee shops
• Retail stores
• Malls
• Parks

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Breastfeeding and Pools

• Health concerns have been raised regarding
  breastfeeding in or around pools.
• Risk for baby?
• Risk for the public?

Image Okanagan Breastfeeding Coalition
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Low risk for the baby

• Is there a health concern for the baby?
• No
• There is no cause for concern (Dr.
  McGeer,Director of Infection Control,Mt Sinai
  Hospital Gideon Koren, director of Motherisk,
  Hospital for Sick Children)
• Babies are exposed to bacteria everywhere -
  breastfed babies have a stronger immune system.
• Normal pool disinfection procedures are enough
  protection for baby.
• The chlorine in the pool is not a concern for
  normal healthy babies.

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Low risk for the public
There is no significant public health threat
from exposure to breastmilk in pool waterIf
breastmilk is spilled into the water it will be
promptly diluted. Additionally, recreational
water disinfection systems are designed to
inactivate pathogens. The potential for
ingestion of pathogens is therefore minimal.
(Interior Health Policy HPG 9040 Jan 2009
Recreational Water)

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What Does This Mean to You as an Employee?

• Read the policy and information pamphlet.
• Display a welcoming attitude to breastfeeding
  mothers.
• Do not ask a breastfeeding mother to cover up or
  relocate.
• Be prepared to deal with complaints a patron may
  have regarding a breastfeeding mother, without
  infringing on the mothers rights (see role play
  on next slide).
• Seek the assistance of your immediate supervisor
  when necessary.

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Role Play

• A mother is breastfeeding her baby by the pool
  while she watches her 2 other children in the
  shallow play area.
• A person approaches you and complains This is
  indecent! Cant you ask her to go to the changing
  room?
• What would your response be?

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Responding to a complaint

• Stay Calm
• Acknowledge their discomfort
• I can see that this is upsetting for you
• Explain
• Im sorry for your discomfort, but the
  community centre supports breastfeeding in our
  facilities. You might not be aware that we would
  be in violation of the Human Rights Code of BC to
  ask a nursing mother to cover up or request that
  she breastfeed in another location.
• Assist the complainant
• Would you be more comfortable moving over to
  this other side of the pool?
• Refer
• If the complainant is still unhappy, offer If
  you would like to speak with the supervisor I
  will get her for you.
• Minimize Disruption
• Try not to involve the breastfeeding mother in
  this exchange.

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La Leche League
For more information contact us Website
www.okanaganbreastfeeding.org Phone (250)
770-3419
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References
Boland, M. (2005). Exclusive breastfeeding should
continue to six months. Canadian Pediatric
Society Position Statement. Retrieved 13
November, 2008, from http//www.cps.ca/english/sta
tements/N/BreastfeedingMar05.htm Breastfeeding.co
m (2008). The Lighter Side Gallery. Retrieved 21
October, 2008, from http//www.breastfeeding.com/l
ighter_side/lighter_side_gallery.html
Breastfeeding in Pools (2009). Interior
Health, Health Protection Policy HPG9040.
British Columbia Human Rights Code (2008). Sex
discrimination and harassment. The Government of
British Columbia. Retrieved 19 October, 2008
from http//www.ag.gov.bc.ca/humanrightsprotectio
n/pdfs/SexDiscriminationHarassment.pdf CBC.ca
(2008). Breastfeeding mother alleges WestJet
harassment. Retrieved 13 November, 2008, from
http//www.cbc.ca/canada/british-columbia/story/20
08/08/06/bc-breast-feeding-cover-up-west-jet-.html
CBC.ca (2008). H M Cover up sparks human
rights protest. Retrieved 19 Oct, 2008, from
http//ca.news.yahoo.com/s/cbc/080805/canada/vanco
uver_bc_breastfeeding_protest_h_m_vancouver CTV
Toronto (2007). Mother told not to breastfeed at
Scarborough YMCA. Retrieved 13 November, 2008,
from http//toronto.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNew
s/20070920/Mother_breastfeed_YMCA_070920/20070920?
hubTorontoHome Health Canada. Exclusive
Breastfeeding Duration 2004. Retrieved 19, Oct
2008, from http//www.hc-sc.gc.ca
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• Maple, S. (11 August, 2008). Breastfeeding moms
  protest at HM. Retrieved 13 November 2008, from
  http//www.parentdish.com/2008/08/11/breastfeeding
  -moms-protest-at-handm/
• Okanagan Breastfeeding Coalition (July 2007).
  Building a Breastfeeding Friendly Community
  (pamphlet).
• Strange, B. (2002). Breastfeeding at municipal
  pools in Canada A report from the Breastfeeding
  Action Committee of Edmonton.
• The Canadian Medical Association, retrieved
  October 24, 2008, from
• http//www.cma.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/121/la_id/1.htm
  
• White, A. (2008). Ontario Canada Breastfeeding
  Laws and Human Rights Commission Complaints.
  Retrieved 12 November, 2008, from
  http//www.breastfeeding123.com/ontario-canada-bre
  astfeeding-laws-and-human-rights-commission-compla
  ints/
• World Health Organization (2008). Exclusive
  breastfeeding. Retrieved 19 October, 2008, from
  http//www.who.int/nutrition/topics/exclusive_brea
  stfeeding/en/index.html
• Many thanks to the mothers and children whose
  pictures are included