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Breastfeeding is a gift for a lifetime.
It's one of the best ways you can help give
your baby a better chance at a healthy life.
Breastfeeding is a natural and low-cost way to
help reduce your child's risk of infection,
chronic disease and obesity.
It's also good for moms, and helps a woman
lose the weight she gained
during pregnancy and also reduces her risks for
breast and ovarian cancer later on.
I'm Dr. William Walker, Director of
Contra Costa Health Services, and I'm here to talk to
you about the importance of breastfeeding.
We recommend women feed their
children breast milk exclusively for the first
six months and then breast milk along with
solid foods until the baby is one year old.
I know that sometimes moms face pressures not to
breastfeed, like the idea that baby formula is a more
acceptable, easier way to nourish an infant.
That isn't true, formula is not equivalent to breast milk.
Why is breast milk so important?
Breast milk is the most complete form of
nutrition for infants and helps protect them from
many problems like ear infections, allergies and
chronic diseases like diabetes and Crohn's disease.
Breastfeeding also helps baby and mom bond.
Most women are able to breastfeed and,
except in rare cases, breastfeeding is always the
best choice for the baby.
It helps if a woman starts breastfeeding right away in
the hospital after birth, and there also are many
breastfeeding support services available to help
mothers overcome the challenges.
If you know a new mom, help support her.
New mothers need help with care of
older children or household chores.
Dads can bond with the baby by
holding, especially skin-to-skin, bathing and diapering the baby.
Employers can make a comfortable, private space and
allow time for breastfeeding employees to
pump breast milk for their infants.
For more information about breastfeeding and
support resources, visit the services section on
our website at cchealth.org
Thanks for listening.
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