Editor's note: Bradford meetings are currently on hold due to the strike at the Bradford West Gwillimbury Public Library.
The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit offers breastfeeding support groups both online and in-person throughout Simcoe County, including meetings in Collingwood, Barrie, Alliston, and Bradford.
The breastfeeding support group that meets in Innisfil happens on Fridays from 10:30 a.m. until noon in the community room of the Lakeshore branch of the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library. It is the newest addition to in-person meetings.
“Breastfeeding is the natural way to feed babies, but that doesn’t mean that it happens easily for everyone,” said public health nurse Amanda Leonard.
“Breastfeeding is a skill and during the beginning of the breastfeeding journey it can take time to learn and with support. These challenges can be resolved and confidence rises," she added.
Health Canada, the Canadian Paediatric Society and World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life and families are encouraged to continue breastfeeding for two years and beyond, Leonard said.
"Breastfeeding is important and can take time, practice and support," she added. "We want to support families to meet and exceed their breastfeeding goals."
The local health unit has been offering breastfeeding support groups — renamed from the original 'Breastfeeding Place' — for the past 20 years, but this is the first group of its kind in Innisfil.
“Innisfil has developed substantially over the last few years and the population continues to grow. The needs of the community continue to grow as well,” Leonard said. “It is important to serve Innisfil by increasing access and strengthening health-care services to meet the needs of the community.”
“South Simcoe has been identified as an under-serviced area for health-care services," the nurse added. "Our aim is to connect people locally to convenient and available services, right in their own communities.”
Leonard was also asked why breastfeeding support groups are necessary.
“Over the last few decades, families have been discharged from hospital earlier with reduced lengths of stay after delivering their babies, but (they're) still needing the same amount of care and support once home," she said. "With sometimes limited follow-up care, this often leaves gaps in continuity of care as families transition from hospital to community.
"Our community programs strive to reduce these systemic barriers by integrating support locally to families needing care," Leonard added.
Leonard said these groups provide a "safe and supportive place" for parents to talk, share experiences and encourage each other during their breastfeeding experience.
"It’s a great opportunity to discuss breastfeeding topics, challenges and successes with other parents,” she said. “Peer support is about connection and supportive relationships between people who share commonalities in their lived experience. Research shows that mothers with peer support breastfeed longer and more exclusively.”
Leonard also says that over 90 per cent of parents plan to breastfeed in Simcoe-Muskoka, but “the rate of exclusive breastfeeding drops off significantly in the first weeks after birth, with 45 per cent of babies breastfeeding exclusively at two months, and 35 per cent at four months.”
Public health nurses are available at all breastfeeding support groups as they seek to help participants meet their breastfeeding goals.
Leonard says individualized support is also offered through the health unit’s Health Connection phone line at 1-877-721-7520 or via online form or chat on its Help and Support page.
Parents are encouraged to visit the website to stay informed of the breastfeeding support groups’ schedule, as meeting times and locations are subject to change.
