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This morning, on Health Watch "the Breastfeeding". It's the best thing for babies, but not enough moms are doing it for the entire recommended amount of time, and that's because the moms aren't getting the right support according to experts. Our Dr. Emily Senay has more.
Kristina Jahaly plans to breastfeed her baby daughter Claire for as long as she can.
It seems like the most natural thing in the world for a mother to do with a baby.
And what we've found is that...
Experts agree that breast milk is the healthiest food for babies. Dr. Lori Winter helped develop the American Academy of Pediatrics' Breastfeeding Recommendations.
How long does a woman need to breastfeed for? And can she combination, feeder doesn't need to be exclusive.
Breastfeeding by itself without the addition of any foods or other fluids, for about the first 6 months of life, and then that's followed by the introduction of nutritious, complementary foods at about 6 months, and continued breastfeeding for at least the first year of life.
But current U.S breastfeeding rates fall far short of those goals. According to the CDC, 70% of women start breastfeeding in the hospital, but by 6 months, only 14% are exclusively breastfeeding. Some moms simply choose not to, but for others, it's a bit more complicated.
Why don't more women breastfeed, if it's so much better for the baby? What's the problem?
Well, the problem is, is that in the United States, we don't necessarily have a culture that supports breastfeeding in the way that we recommend breastfeeding. And so that means that the culture, both in terms of the community, the families, there is not a lot of experience from mothers who have breastfed supporting their daughters to breastfeed their children.
And how does she do nursing?
She did fine.
Good.
You are obviously breastfeeding this baby. What's your goal or what do you wanna...?
My goal is nine months.
Kristina's goal is made easier by the fact that her employer completely supports her efforts to breastfeed.
When will you go back to work, and what are your arrangements gonna be for the baby when you go back to work?
I have talked to my supervisor already... We have an office set up for me.
Nice.
It brings in the milk quickly.
Other companies like professional services firm Deloitte & Touche subsidize breast pumps, provide counseling and even a lactation room for women like Princy Jacob.
And it's great that we have these refrigerators too, because you can keep the milk, store the milk there.
Well, I just bring the machine to the office, and then um... at other times, you know, I'm, I'm feeding at home.
You're ready?
Kristina Jahaly says that support from pediatricians and other nursing moms is the key to helping other women achieve their breastfeeding goals.
Women need help;they need support; they need encouragement. It's not an easy thing to do the first time around for some women and it was very difficult, for me, with Madeline.
Dr. Emily Senay, CBC News, the Early Show.
You can find out a lot more about breastfeeding by logging onto our website at cbsnews.com.
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pediatrics:the part of medical science that deals with children and the treatment of their illnesses 小儿科
lactation:the process of producing and supplying breast milk to your baby 哺育期
pediatrician:a doctor who deals with children and the medical treatment of their illnesses 儿科医师
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