Breastfeeding responsibilities extend beyond mother, child Published Sept. 28, 2011 By Tech. Sgt. Chyenne A. Adams Air Force District of Washington Public Affairs WASHINGTON, D.C. -- -- Most all Air Force members - civilian and military - realize that our special military society is responsible for the care of ourselves, and each other. However, many don't realize that the health of children is something they each play a piece in - whether or not they're parents themselves. According to the Joint Commission's newest Speak Up educational campaign, one of the ways everyone can support the health of our children is by supporting breastfeeding mothers. The campaign was launched during World Breastfeeding Week in August to highlight the health benefits of breastfeeding and the importance of support for mothers and babies who are breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is influenced by many components. Of those, the community in which the mother lives and works is the greatest. The support of family, friends, coworkers, leadership, and the military healthcare system are all essential to a mother's ability to initiate and continue breastfeeding successfully. "Breastfeeding is my number one favorite thing to be able to do for my daughter. Knowing what a wonderful investment breastfeeding is for her and how it will last her whole lifetime is extremely rewarding," said Tech. Sgt. Stephanie Cates, 779th Surgical Operations Squadron, Joint Base Andrews, Md. "I could not have nursed my daughter for more than 10 months so far without the full support of everyone in my unit. As an active-duty mom, I know how difficult it can be; but, my unit has been 100 percent behind me, allowing me the 20-30 minutes it takes me to pump, two to three times daily, and it's made all the difference in the world to me." According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services 2011 report "The Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding," the percentage of women in the U.S. workforce has increased dramatically over the last century. In 2004, more than 70 percent of women of childbearing age, 20-44 years old, were in the civilian labor force. Among employed mothers, studies have found lower initiation rates and shorter durations of breastfeeding. According to the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Defense, the only number currently tracked for lactating mothers associated with the military is whether new mothers nurse their newborns in the hospital during the newborn phase, the first one to two days of life. "Mothers and babies make up the largest population in the Military Health System, with more than 2,000 babies born each week. Overall, military hospitals exceed civilian benchmarks for exclusive breastfeeding in the first few days of life by almost 20 percent," said Theresa A. Hart, perinatal nurse consultant with the TRICARE Management Activity, OASD Office of the Chief Medical Officer. "The Surgeon General's Blueprint for Breastfeeding promotes breastfeeding to 1 year of age in addition to exclusive breastfeeding to six months to benefit the health of the mother, their infants and the population at large. Breastfeeding helps to keep our active-duty mothers fit by decreasing the time to return to pre-pregnancy weight, and benefits the family with a decrease in childhood obesity and ailments such as ear and respiratory infections. "All mothers who return to work have the challenges of finding the time, space and accommodations to pump milk for their infants and the varied work environments in the military can make it particularly challenging," she said. "The MHS continues to work with the services to promote breastfeeding and help ease a mother's transition back into the workplace after the birth of her child. Supporting breastfeeding throughout the MHS is in the best interest of our military families now and in the future." According to Hart, the Department of Defense is also working with First Lady Michelle Obama's "Let's Move" campaign to raise a healthier generation of kids, because obesity in children later in life has been linked to babies who were not exclusively breastfed. Breastfeeding for nine months reduces a baby's odds of becoming overweight by more than 30 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control. A baby's risk of becoming an overweight child goes down with each month of breastfeeding. The Air Force addresses the needs of nursing mothers in Air Force Instruction 44-102, which supports the need for a private, clean area - that is not a bathroom - for milk expression; and encourages supervisors to arrange work schedules to allow 15-30 minutes every 3-4 hours to express milk. The service member must provide their own equipment to pump and store milk, and remains eligible for deployments, training and mobility exercises. Commander's modifications of these activities and/or work conditions are encouraged by the Air Force Medical Service where possible. The instruction was updated with a memorandum June 8, 2007 to clarify the intent of the AFI. Each of the armed services has similar regulations covering women's health issues and pregnancy policies. "The hardships military mothers face to breastfeed their child can be great, but most can be overcome - especially if you have supportive people around you," said Jackie Rouse-Johnson, 779th Medical Group certified lactation consultant, Joint Base Andrews, Md. "The advantages can be great also though - including the availability of lactation consultants at most military bases; and a multitude of classes for parents-to-be, including classes specific to lactating mothers. "Mothers are unsure what to really expect with nursing, or who to turn to when they run into a problem," she said. "A lot of people expect it to just come easy, and when it initially causes discomfort or they think it's going to be hard to continue when they return to work, they stop - many within the first two weeks postpartum, and a greater chunk as soon as they return to work after their six-week maternity leave. We really encourage our military moms to continue beyond that point for as long as they can to truly reap the benefits for themselves, and their baby." Mom and baby are not the only benefactors, the environment benefits too. For every one million formula-fed babies, 150 million containers of formula are consumed. Although breastfeeding requires mothers to consume a small amount of additional calories, it generally requires no containers, no paper, no fuel to prepare, and no transportation to deliver, reducing the carbon footprint by saving precious global resources and energy. It could potentially save billions of dollars a year, also. Low rates of breastfeeding cost the U.S. healthcare system $2.2 billion dollars annually, according to CDC Director Thomas Frieden in a CDC media release Aug. 2. "For nearly all infants, breastfeeding is the best source of infant nutrition and immunologic protection, and it provides remarkable health benefits to mothers as well. Babies who are breastfed are less likely to become overweight and obese," said U.S. Public Health Service Surgeon General, Vice Adm. Regina M. Benjamin, M.D., M.B.A. in the U.S. Department of Health report. "Many mothers in the United States want to breastfeed, and most try. And yet within only three months after giving birth, more than two-thirds of breastfeeding mothers have already begun using formula. By six months postpartum, more than half of mothers have given up on breastfeeding, and mothers who breastfeed one-year-olds or toddlers are a rarity in our society. "Mothers are acutely aware of and devoted to their responsibilities when it comes to feeding their children, but the responsibilities of others must be identified so that all mothers can obtain the information, help and support they deserve when they breastfeed their infants," she said. "All too often, mothers who wish to breastfeed encounter daunting challenges in moving through the healthcare system. Furthermore, there is often an incompatibility between employment and breastfeeding, but with help this is not impossible to overcome. Even so, because the barriers can seem insurmountable at times, many mothers stop breastfeeding." Breastfeeding benefits for baby: (facts from Maryland Health Department) A mother's milk is the most complete nutrition for infants, with just the right amount of fat, sugar, water, and protein needed for a baby's growth and development. Breastmilk has antibodies that help protect infants from bacteria and viruses. Babies who are breastfed for atleast six months are less likely to have ear infections, diarrhea, or respiratory illnesses. Breastfed babies have lower rates of sudden infant death syndrome in the first year of life, and lower rates of diabetes, lymphoma, leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, obesity, high cholesterol and asthma later in life. Breastfed babies score slightly higher on IQ tests, especially babies born prematurely. Breastfeeding benefits for mothers: Nursing uses up extra calories, making it easier to lose weight after pregnancy. It also decreases any bleeding a woman may have after giving birth. Breastfeeding delays the return of normal ovulation and menstrual cycles. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of breast and ovarian cancers, and possibly the risk of hip fractures and osteoporosis after menopause. Breastfeeding saves time and money. Societal benefits of breastfeeding: Breastfeeding saves on healthcare costs. Breastfed babies need fewer doctor visits, prescriptions, and hospitalizations. Breastfeeding contributes to a more productive workforce. Nursing moms miss less work because their infants are sick less often. Employer medical costs are lower and employee productivity is higher. Breastfeeding is better for our environment. There is less trash and plastic waste compared to formula use. For more information, visit the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Baby-Friendly USA, Inc., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March of Dimes and United States Breastfeeding Committee. Resources for breastfeeding mothers and supporters within the National Capital Region: La Leche League - Maryland, 410-526-4285; Washington, D.C., 202-269-4444 For resources within the National Capital Region, visit: New Parent Support Program - Joint Base Andrews, 240-857-7501; Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, 202-433-3234; Ft. Meade, 301-677-5590; Ft. Belvoir, 703-805-4547; Walter Reed, 202-782-5862; Anacostia, 202-784-4248; Henderson Hall, 703-614-7208 Lactation consultant at Malcolm Grow Medical Center, Joint Base Andrews, 240-857-2723/3297 Lactation clinic at DeWitt Army Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, 703-805-9189