breastfeeding

Press release:

In support of Breastfeeding Month, today the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) held a virtual ceremony for its WIC Breastfeeding Award of Excellence winners in the Northeast Region, including seven in New York.

“USDA established the award program to recognize local WIC agencies that have provided exemplary breastfeeding promotion and support to WIC moms,” said Lizbeth Silbermann, Northeast Regional Administrator for USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service. "The intent is to provide models to help other WIC clinics strengthen their breastfeeding programs to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates nationwide.” 

A major goal of the WIC Program is to improve the health of babies and moms through breastfeeding; WIC serves about half of all babies born in the country and is uniquely positioned to help moms successfully breastfeed.

In New York the following WIC clinics received Gold awards: 

• Catholic Charities WIC of Buffalo, Buffalo
• Oak Orchard Health WIC, Batavia
• Ryan Health WIC Program, NYC
• Bedford Stuyvesant Family Health Center, Brooklyn
• Morris Heights Health Center WIC, Bronx
• SBH Health System, Bronx
• Northwell Health Staten Island University Hospital, Staten Island

“Peer counselors have a unique ability to relate to participants and play a key role in providing support beyond the office when parents need it most, especially throughout the pandemic,” said Corie Nadzan, WIC Director for New York State. “These awards highlight the dedicated efforts of WIC staff to empower families to meet their breastfeeding goals beginning prenatally, through delivery and beyond. Having worked in a local agency myself, I know this is no easy feat, and I am incredibly proud of these agencies for their outstanding services.”

The award is given at three levels of performance that build on one another: Gold, Premiere, and Elite. 

One hundred and one awards were handed out across the country throughout the month of August, including 16 awards presented today to clinics in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Vermont.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children - better known as WIC - serves to safeguard the health of low-income pregnant, postpartum, and breastfeeding women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutritional risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating including breastfeeding promotion and support, and referrals to health care. More information about WIC can be found at www.fns.usda.gov/WIC.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) leverages its 15 nutrition assistance programs to ensure that children, low-income individuals, and families have opportunities for a better future through equitable access to safe, healthy, and nutritious food while building a more resilient food system. Under the leadership of Secretary Tom Vilsack, FNS is fighting to end food and nutrition insecurity for all through programs such as SNAP, school meals, and WIC. FNS also provides science-based nutrition recommendations through the co-development of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans. To learn more, visitwww.fns.usda.gov. 

Press release:

This mom is one of several dozen who participated in last year’s Global Big Latch On at UMMC. This year’s event is scheduled Friday at UMMC's Cary Hall, 211 E. Main St., Batavia. Photo by Virginia Kropf.

United Memorial Medical Center will participate in the Global Big Latch On event Friday at Cary Hall, 211 E. Main St., Batavia.

Global Big Latch On is an international organization working to support and normalize breastfeeding, while encouraging a community network of support among breastfeeding families, said Stacey Pastuszynski, marketing adviser at UMMC.

This is the fourth year UMMC has participated in this global event, in which as many as 143 family members have attended locally.

“We average forty breastfeeding moms, while the rest are friends and family members who attend for support,” Pastuszynski said. “While we are hoping to better that this year, it is not so much about numbers as it is about support for breastfeeding mothers and promoting the benefits of breastfeeding.”

Mom- and baby-friendly local businesses and organizations will be present Friday to provide resources, including Richmond Memorial Library, Oak Orchard Health WIC, Project Stork, UMMC Healthy Living and Baby Café, YWCA, Genesee County Health Department and City of Batavia Fire Department with their car seat safety check.

The event is free and breastfeeding moms can preregister at www.biglatchon.org or by calling 344-5331.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. At 10:30 a.m., there will be an official count of latched babies and pumps, which will be submitted to the Global Big Latch On organization and added to the number of other women breastfeeding simultaneously throughout the world.

This year’s goal worldwide is to break the current Global Big Latch On record of 17,992 children breastfeeding at 758 locations in 23 countries, according to Pastuszynski.

Pastuszynski said UMMC’s Healthy Living team is passionate about their programs which support families and breastfeeding mothers.

Their Baby Café is a free breastfeeding support group which meets from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday, with a certified lactation consultant on site.

Healthy Living also offers infant feeding and childbirth classes; a Medicaid Obstetrical and Maternal Services Program; and Family and Friends CPR and Safety classes.

Press release:

United Memorial Medical Center and Oak Orchard Health will host a regional event that’s part of the international Global Big Latch On, a synchronized breastfeeding event that will include thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their babies are invited to gather on Friday, Aug. 4 in Batavia, at 213 E. Main St.

This event is part of a global effort to raise awareness about the important health benefits of breastfeeding.

Registration begins at 9:30 a.m. and the countdown to the Big Latch On starts at 10:30 a.m.

The event will also feature a gently used clothing swap (newborn to 24 months), where mothers can donate clothes and/or find clothes they need for their babies.

The City of Batavia Fire Department will conduct a free car seat safety check and the Genesee County Health Department will be onsite with information on lead poisoning prevention and vaccinations.

The Global Big Latch On was organized by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action as part of World Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness of the important health benefits of breastfeeding. As a worldwide peer support and community development event, it aims to strengthen national and global support for breastfeeding and to improve the health of children and women around the world.

Breastfeeding is the normal way of providing young infants with the nutrients they need for healthy growth and development. Virtually all mothers can breastfeed, as long as they have accurate information, and the support of their family, the health care system and society at large. World Breastfeeding Week takes place Aug. 1-7.

Press release:

For the second year in a row, local health care organizations, Rochester Regional Health United Memorial Medical Center and Oak Orchard Health will be hosting an event for breastfeeding mothers that will attempt to break international records as well as raise awareness on the important health benefits of breastfeeding.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their children are invited to attend the event that will be held from 9:30 a.m. to noon at the Jerome Center at 16 Bank St. in Batavia on Friday, Aug. 5.

It's part of the Global Big Latch On, a synchronized breastfeeding event that will include thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world. In addition to the 10:30 a.m. count, the Latch On event at the Jerome Center will also have Foodlink’s Curbside Mobile Market, a baby clothing swap, refreshments, freebies, face painting, car seat check, and door prizes.

Anyone who wishes to donate gently used baby clothing for the swap can drop it off at Oak Orchard Health WIC at 314 Ellicott St. in Batavia by Aug. 4 or bring it to the event. Attendees can register at the event or pre-register at www.biglatchon.org

The Global Big Latch On was organized by the World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action as part of World Breastfeeding Week to raise awareness on the important health benefits of breastfeeding. Breastfeeding contributes to the normal growth and development of children, and children who are not breastfed are at increased risk of infant morbidity and mortality, adult obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer.

The World Health Organization recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of a baby's life to optimize these benefits, continuing to breastfeed for 2 years and as long thereafter as is mutually desired by a woman and her child. World Breastfeeding Week will take place Aug. 1-7.

Dozens of families attended the first local synchronized breastfeeding event at the Jerome Center this morning.

The Big Latch On was hosted by the United Memorial Medical Center and Oak Orchard Health WIC program to commemorate World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7. The week is celebrated in 120 countries. The first Big Latch On took place in Aotearoa, New Zealand, in 2005 and was held in Portland, Ore., in 2010.

Today's Big Latch On was the first local breastfeeding event in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties. Thirty-one nursing moms and a few dads with their children attended the event to show their support for breastfeeding. Families were entered into a raffle for a Vera Bradley diaper bag and other giveaways. The City of Batavia Fire Department also offered free car seat safety checks.

Maria Dentino, Oak Orchard Health WIC breastfeeding coordinator, gave out recognition awards to businesses that support breastfeeding families. The workplaces that received awards were Genesee County Court, Lucky Ducky Daycare, Lifetime Assistance, Wegmans in Brockport, Target in Greece, and the Greater Rochester International Airport. All of the recipients were nominated by local women.

"The goal is to celebrate Global Breast Feeding Week and raise awareness for the health benefits of breastfeeding," said Colleen Flynn, director of community relations at UMMC.

Breastfeeding has many health benefits some of which include reducing the risk of infant morbidity and mortality, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

In addition to the event, UMMC's Baby Cafe is celebrating its one year anniversary. The educational support program for nursing moms and their children is held every Tuesday at 1 p.m. Moms can ask lactation counselors questions and socialize with other moms. So far, 80 moms and their children have attended the program.

Press release:

Local health care organizations United Memorial Medical Center and Oak Orchard Health will be hosting an event for breastfeeding mothers that will attempt to break international records as well as raise awareness on the important health benefits of breastfeeding.

Pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and their babies are invited to attend the event that will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Jerome Center in Batavia on Friday, July 31.

It's part of the international "Global Big Latch On," a synchronized breastfeeding event that will include thousands of breastfeeding women and their babies/children across the world.

In addition to the count, the Latch On event at the Jerome Center will also have refreshments, giveaways, face painting, car seat check, and drawing for a Vera Bradley diaper bag. Please arrive early to register!