Breastfeeding: good for everyone

  • Published
  • By Capt. Alysia Harvey
  • 48th Fighter Wing Public Affairs
ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England --  Have you ever considered how breastfeeding impacts the Air Force mission, the physical and mental health of your Airmen, the environment? Several base agencies here, Liberty Wing moms and mothers in 120 countries around the globe took time this week to focus on the benefits of this natural act as they celebrated World Breastfeeding Week.

While the annual event, held Aug. 1-7, is designed to protect, promote and support breastfeeding, this year's theme - "Breastfeeding - A Vital Emergency Response, Are You Ready?" - was meant to reinforce the vital role that breastfeeding plays in emergency situations.

"If you think back to the last time you lost power or the water supply in your home - how long was that for?," asked Maj. Cathy Snowball, 48th Medical Group Health Promotions Flight commander, adding that formula feeding could be difficult to maintain under these circumstances. "How would you get clean water to mix the formula or hot, clean water to wash the bottles? How would you warm up the milk? A breastfeeding mother has none of those worries."

Major Snowball, who hosts "Mom's Central", a group devoted to discussing all areas of childrearing, went on to say this issue was brought to the forefront during Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 when many babies fell ill due to gastro-intestinal problems associated with unclean water.

According to the World Health Organization Web site, the two primary causes of child mortality worldwide are diarrhea and pneumonia, but breast milk contains antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as these. The WHO says breast milk is the ideal food for newborns and infants, and they encourage breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months of life because breast milk gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development. The Web site also indicates that breast milk is readily available and affordable, which helps to ensure infants get adequate sustenance.

Melanie Ritsema, the United Kingdom regional manager for the Women, Infants and Children's Overseas program here, said breastfeeding is ideal given current world situations.

"When you look at the worldwide economic situation, breastfeeding is ideal because babies are optimally nourished regardless of a mother's financial situation," said Ms. Ritsema, who is one of only two international board certified lactation consultants serving mothers at RAFs Lakenheath, Mildenhall and Feltwell. "Additionally, in times when infections, such as the flu, have reached pandemic levels, breastfeeding provides infants even more protection against illness."

A staunch advocate of breast feeding, Major Snowball agreed with Ms. Harraden, and offered additional benefits to this instinctive act. She said while many people have heard about the benefits of breastfeeding for a mother and her baby, studies are now emerging on the socio-economic and environmental benefits of breastfeeding.

"Our world benefits from breastfeeding," the major said. "If you look at it from an environmental approach, there are no products required - no bottles to wash, formula cans to dispose of, and there is no additional cost to providing breast milk for a baby."

As an active duty mother of one, who comes from a family of breast-fed children, she brought the benefits of what she calls "an instinctive, natural act that is an art learned with experience", closer to home when she related it to how the Air Force, and companies in general, benefit from further enabling mothers to breast feed their children.

"The benefits to an organization, whether military or civilian are numerous," she said. "Studies have collected data from various avenues over the years, and breastfeeding employees help the business bottom line in many ways."

Data from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services show that companies who support breastfeeding, offer breastfeeding education and provide mothers flexible breaks and work options to either express milk or go to the daycare to feed the child reap benefits. The benefits include lower medical costs and health insurance claims by breastfeeding employees, lower absenteeism rates (up to half the number of one-day absences because breastfed children are sick less often), and improved productivity, employee morale and company loyalty.

The U.S. Air Force and 48th Fighter Wing leadership clearly understand this, and, as such, offer are several programs offered on base to support moms-to-be and breast-feeding moms. They include:
- Mom's Central: Every Wednesday, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the RAF Lakenheath HAWC
- WIC Overseas Office Breastfeeding Support Group: Third Tuesday of every month at noon at the Airman and Family Readiness Center
- Breastfeeding Education Classes: First Wednesday and Thursday of each month, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. at the RAF Lakenheath HAWC
- Bundles for Babies: Bi-monthly on the second Friday, from 9 to 11:30 a.m. at the A&FRC at RAF Lakenheath

"I encourage all women to support their friends when they have a newborn, from something as simple as watching an older child so mom can take a nap while the infant naps to taking over meals," said Major Snowball, foot-stomping the importance of this at Lakenheath since most personnel live so far away from the family and support systems they would have in the states.

She also urged mothers to become involved in the local community, saying that most of the children's centers in the local communities have breastfeeding or infant feeding groups.

"It is so much fun to talk with other moms about the challenges of childrearing and breastfeeding, and everyone benefits from either learning something new or sharing something with someone else," she said.

For more information on breastfeeding or the programs listed, call the HAWC at 226-2710, the WIC Overseas Office at 226-1728 or 226-1762, or the A&FRC at 226-3847.