Press Releases

Hospitals Promote Breastfeeding

Aug 01, 2011

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) will celebrate World Breastfeeding Week (Aug 1-7) this year by hosting various public education events at HHC hospitals across the city. All of the events include educational materials on breastfeeding as well as information on available resources. Some hospital facilities will have giveaways where participants at the event can enter for a chance to win prizes including a variety of breastfeeding products and a child’s car seat that will be raffled at Bellevue Hospital Center.
Breastfeeding during the first months and year of life benefits both mother and baby, and can improve infant health and reduce the risk of common childhood infections, asthma, diabetes and other conditions. HHC hospitals encourage all new mothers to breastfeed within the first few hours after birth.

• Bellevue Hospital Center– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm in the Atrium Lobby.
• Coney Island Hospital– Tuesday, August 2 at 8am there will be a lecture in the auditorium. Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm a fair will be held in the courtyard at the Ocean Parkway entrance.
• Cumberland Diagnostic and Treatment Center– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm in the Main Plaza.
• Elmhurst Hospital Center– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-3pm in the lobby of the H Building.
• Harlem Hospital Center– Friday, August 5 from 11am-2pm in room 3101 (3rd floor).
• Jacobi Medical Center– Monday, August 1 from 10am-2pm in the atrium of Building 8.
• Kings County Hospital Center– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm and Thursday, August 4 from 10am-12pm on the ground floor of the C Building.
• Metropolitan Hospital Center– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm in the Main Lobby
• North Central Bronx Hospital– Wednesday, August 3 from 10am-2pm in the Main Lobby.
• Queens Hospital Center– Thursday, August 4 from 10am-2pm in the Atrium.

Breastfeeding offers an unmatched beginning for children. Providing infants with human milk gives them the most complete nutrition possible. Human milk provides the optimal mix of nutrients and antibodies necessary for each baby to thrive.

• Mothers who choose to breastfeed have many health benefits. Recent studies show that women who breastfeed enjoy decreased risks of breast and ovarian cancer, anemia, and osteoporosis. Breastfeeding helps the body recover from pregnancy and labor and burns about 500 calories a day.
• Families who breastfeed save money. In addition to the fact that breast milk is free, breastfeeding provides savings on health care costs and related time lost to care for sick children.

• Bring the baby to the breast, not the breast to the baby. Bending forward while nursing may cause back pain.
• Drink enough liquids – a glass of water, milk, or unsweetened juice every time you nurse.
• Get plenty of rest, eat a healthy diet, and talk to your doctor about taking a multi-vitamin.
• Nurse often to build up your milk supply.
• If you can’t remember which side you last nursed on, put a safety pin on your bra to remind you. Some mothers switch a ring from one hand to the other.

About HHC

The New York City Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC) is a $6.7 billion integrated healthcare delivery system with its own 420,000 member health plan, MetroPlusHealth, and is the largest municipal healthcare organization in the country. HHC serves 1.4 million New Yorkers every year and more than 475,000 are uninsured. HHC provides medical, mental health and substance abuse services through its 11 acute care hospitals, five skilled nursing facilities, six large diagnostic and treatment centers and more than 70 community based clinics. HHC Health and Home Care also provides in-home services for New Yorkers. HHC was the 2008 recipient of the National Quality Forum and The Joint Commission’s John M. Eisenberg Award for Innovation in Patient Safety and Quality. For more information, visit www.nychhc.org/hhc or find us on facebook.com/NYCHealthSystem or twitter.com/NYCHealthSystem.