WIC Book Club: "Mama's Milk"

Mama's Milk celebrates the loving bond breastfeeding forms between mammal mamas and their babies. This book illustrates human and other animal mothers nursing their babies in their natural habitats. "Mama's Milk" is a perfect fit for snuggling up with your breastfeeding child, or explaining breastfeeding to an older sibling.

Photo from Random House Kids

WIC promotes breastfeeding as the optimal infant feeding choice. If you have questions about breastfeeding, or are considering breastfeeding and are unsure where to begin -- ask your WIC nutritionist! Or, join one of our weekly breastfeeding basics classes,

Salmon Pasta Bake

Not sure what to cook with the canned salmon you receive as a breastfeeding mom? Try this hearty, easy recipe. It's filled with veggies, and the salmon provides protein and omega-3 fatty acids your body needs whole you're breastfeeding!

Photo by Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters

Salmon Pasta Bake

Recipe by: Share Our Strength's Cooking Matters

Serves: 9, 1/9 of recipe per serving

Ingredients:

• 2 cups whole wheat penne pasta
• 2 medium green onions*
• 1 (14½-ounce) can pink salmon oin water*
• 1 cup frozen peas*
• 1 cup nonfat or low-fat plain yogurt
• 2 teaspoons dried dill or dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup Parmesan cheese, grated

*WIC approved items

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. Boil the pasta according to package directions. Drain in a colander. Run under water until cool to the touch, to keep noodles from sticking together.
3. Rinse and finely chop green onions.
4. Drain canned salmon. In a large bowl, mix salmon (crush small bones with fingers- they provide lots of calcium!), pasta, green onions, peas, yogurt, dill or parsley, salt, and black pepper.
5. Transfer pasta mixture to a 9-inch square baking dish.
6. Sprinkle Parmesan cheese over pasta mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes, until bubbling and golden.

WIC teams up with #RVABreastfeeds!

WIC supports breastfeeding as the optimal infant feeding choice and will provide mothers with the support they need to reach their breastfeeding goals (check out out some of our resources on the breastfeeding resources page). WIC is also encouraging the Richmond community to support breastfeeding mothers by providing them with a welcoming environment to feed their infants. Richmond City WIC has joined forces with #RVABreastfeeds to encourage local businesses to show their support by displaying a "Breastfeeding Welcome Here" sticker on on their storefront. Businesses who display the sticker must agree to:

• Display signs notifying breastfeeding-friendly policies
• Provide a clean and welcoming lactation rooms or spaces
• Train staff on breastfeeding-friendly practices

It is important to note mothers have the right to breastfeed in public in Virginia. A mother may breastfeed in any place where the mother is lawfully present. It is illegal to ask breastfeeder to leave or cover up. However, we encourage you to visit and businesses displaying these stickers and thank them  for their support. Together we can diminish the barriers and stigma against breastfeeding in public!

To learn more about #RVABREASTFEEDS visit their website. To become a breastfeeding business fill out an application here.

Fiesta Salmon Cakes

This tasty recipe was submitted by our very own Breastfeeding Peer Counselor! As a breastfeeding mom, you'll receive canned salmon to provide lots of minerals and vitamins including Vitamin D. According to ACOG, Vitamin D works with calcium to help the baby’s bones and teeth develop. It also is essential for healthy skin and eyesight.

Photo from aggieskitchen.com

Fiesta Salmon Cakes
Recipe by: Kimberly Brown
Serves: 7 4-inch salmon cakes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 14.75 oz. can Alaskan or pink salmon*
• 1 cup of chopped green onion*
• 1/2 large red bell pepper diced*
• 1/2 large green bell pepper diced*
• 2 tbs. of finely chopped garlic*
• 2 tsp. of salt
• 1 tsp. of pepper
• 1 tbsp. of chili pepper
• ¼ cup chopped cilantro*
• 1 egg*
• ½ cup of breadcrumbs
• 6 tbsp. of olive oil

*WIC approved items

Directions:

1. Chop green pepper, red pepper, green onion and garlic.
2. Drain salmon and place into a medium mixing bowl. Crush the bones using your fingers and mix lightly.
3. In a separate bowl, beat one large egg and set aside.
4. Heat frying pan over medium heat and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil.
5. Add chopped green pepper, red pepper, green onion and garlic and sauté for 3 minutes until vegetables are tender. Remove from heat.
6. Add salt, pepper and chili pepper to salmon in medium-sized mixing bowl. Mix with a large fork. Add large egg to mixture. Mix with a large fork. Add vegetables and chopped cilantro into the salmon mixture.
7. Add bread crumbs. If the mixture is still wet, gradually add more bread crumbs.
8. Using hands, make 4 inch salmon cakes. If time is available, refrigerate patties for 30 minutes.
9. Heat frying pan over medium heat. Add 3 tablespoons of olive oil when pan is hot.
10. Place salmon cake in heated oil. Cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip salmon cake and cook for 3 minutes or until golden brown.
11. Remove from heat and place each salmon cake on a paper towel to remove excess oil. Serve with brown rice or salad.

Tips:

• The bones are tiny and edible. They provide lots of calcium; however, you can remove them if you’d like.
• Hot pan, cold oil! Heat your pan before adding oil to avoid burning the oil and to ensure a golden crust on the salmon cake.

WIC Book Club: "The Wonders of Mother's Milk"

Looking to introduce and reinforce the power of breastfeeding to your children? WIC recommends reading The Wonders of Mother's Milk. This book illustrates diverse families partaking in the natural act of breastfeeding, all while emphasizing the health, bonding and environmental benefits of the practice.

Photo from Amazon

The Wonders of Mother's Milk will be sure to which will educate and entertain children curious about breastfeeding. Let us know how you talk to your children about breastfeeding in the comments.

Ask a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor: What is the role of a breastfeeding peer counselor?

What is a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor?

Yamesha

Photo from WIC Works

Dear Yamesha,

A WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor is a paraprofessional support person who gives basic breastfeeding information and encouragement to WIC participants who are pregnant or breastfeeding. Each Breastfeeding Peer Counselor must go through a training program to help women successfully breastfeed.

A peer counselor helps in many ways, e.g. private counseling, telephone calls, clinic visits and hospital visits. Breastfeeding Peer Counselors will teach you about the benefits of breastfeeding, overcoming common barriers, and get you off to a good start with breastfeeding. Additionally, she helps mothers prevent and resolve common breastfeeding concerns.

Peer counselors also help manage our breast pump loan program as well as providing bras, shields, pads and other supplies that WIC offers to breastfeeding moms for support. They also act as peer mentors for WIC participants by helping them to see others like themselves breastfeeding or having breastfed.

Sincerely,
Your Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Ask a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor: What to do during flu season?

Dear Breastfeeding Peer Counselor,

I don’t know what to do. It's flu season, and I am breastfeeding a 4-month-old baby. I am concerned about giving my baby the flu. Should I stop breastfeeding? Could my breast milk help my baby during flu season?

Kayla

Photo from Boldsky

Dear Kayla,

Don’t stop. Continue to breastfed your baby. Your milk is custom–made to protect your baby from infections and fight germs that are around you (even if they are brand new germs like the H1N1 influenza virus.) If a mother herself becomes ill, she should continue to breastfeed. By the time a mother first begins showing symptoms of flu, her baby has already been exposed. The good news is that when these symptoms first appear, the mother's body is already producing antibodies to help her get well. These antibodies pass through your milk to protect your baby as well.

Research shows that exclusive breastfeeding makes a significant impact on infants' health, particularly important during flu season when colds and respiratory infections are common. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life helps reduce respiratory problems (including the flu) and complications of the flu such as diarrhea and pneumonia.

Also breastfeeding is critically important during the first 6 months when babies are too young to receive a flu vaccine. It is the only way to improve babies ability to fight flu infection. As your baby becomes older and explores his world, he will be exposed to even more germs. Mothers who continue breastfeeding provide ongoing protection to their babies.

The WIC team is available to help you and support your choice to breastfeed your baby .

Sincerely,
Your Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

Celebrate World Breastfeeding Month with RCHD WIC!

Celebrate with us!

August is World Breastfeeding Month, and we are celebrating our breastfeeding and expecting moms and their beautiful babies! It will be a morning full of fun, food, and prizes. We hope you can join us!

Date: Wednesday August 28 10:30-11:30 AM

Where: Southside Community Service Center - Conference Room B/C, 4100 Hull Street Road, RVA 23224

August is World Breastfeeding Month

Richmond City Health Department Peer Counselors and Interns 

For World Breastfeeing Week, the peer counselors participated in an outreach at the Richmond City Public Library on August 5, 2013. They provided education and support to the public about breastfeeding.

Mayor Dwight Jones' Breastfeeding Commission

Look, Richmond City!

Did you know that Mayor Dwight Jones has organized a Breastfeeding Commission?

That’s right...even the Mayor wants all of Richmond City new moms to breastfeed!!!  The committee is made up of more than 60 members who meet regularly to discuss recommendations on how to increase the number of newborns in Richmond City that are breastfed.

Here are the recommendations by the committee:

1.        Encourage Health Systems to adopt the 10 Steps of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative to achieve the 2020 Healthy People Goal.

This means hospitals would train ALL staff to be more breastfeeding friendly.  All women delivering would be informed about the benefits of breastfeeding.  Moms would receive information, support and encouragement to breastfeed.  Hospitals would have an official breastfeeding policy in place for all health care staff to follow.

2.       Support and encourage Richmond City businesses to develop and implement a comprehensive lactation support program for their employees and patrons.

Businesses are encouraged to promote breastfeeding amongst their employees.  Employers would offer a special location to allow moms to breastfeed or pump while at work.  The Mayor would like to recognize employers who seek to make Richmond a “Baby-Friendly Breastfeeding” City.

3.       Promote partnerships and education among care providers who come into contact with mothers, fathers, partners, and families before, during, and after childbirth, and during the infant’s first year of life.

All Health Care Providers and case workers would have various strategies in place to encourage clients to breastfeed and offer support during pregnancy.  In addition, lactation consultants and support services would be available to mothers, fathers, and families after birth and throughout the infant’s entire first year.

4.       Develop Education/Marketing Strategies

Marketing and Education strategies would be developed to make the public more aware of breastfeeding.  Partnerships with various breastfeeding groups would be established.  A breastfeeding resource handbook and other materials would be created and made accessible to consumers and health care providers.

The Boob Group Online Breastfeeding Resource

This is a resource for you to use for breastfeeding advice and encouragement.  The Birth Education Center of San Diego, CA hosts a weekly online radio show called The Boob Group. These weekly radio shows cover everything from “babywearing and breastfeeding” to “going back to work and breastfeeding.”  The shows are recorded and users can listen from the website.  There is also a free downloadable app for iPhone and Android users so if you have a smartphone, you can listen to the show on the go.  We hope that you find this resource useful.

    

Nine Quick Breastfeeding Tips

New mothers may find breastfeeding confusing at first. You may not know exactly what to do or how to do it. Hopefully these breastfeeding tips will help to get you started.

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1. Start Early - It is good to begin breastfeeding within an hour after birth if possible, when the baby is alert and the instinct to suck is strong. Although you will not yet be producing milk, your breasts contain colostrum, a thin milky fluid that contains important antibodies to disease.

2. Feed Frequently - You should try breastfeeding your baby at least every two to three hours. This will help to keep your breasts soft and lessen or even prevent engorgement. Watch for signs that your baby is hungry, such as changes in facial expressions, sucking sounds or lip movements, and rapid eye movement or restlessness during light naps. If you keep an eye out for these signs, you can learn to anticipate your baby's hunger. Breastfeeding on cue will help stimulate your breasts to produce more milk.

3. Good Positioning - Having the right positioning for breastfeeding will play a major role in reducing nipple soreness. Use you hand to support the baby's neck. The baby's mouth should be open wide with the lips puckered out like "fish lips", not folded in. The nipple should go back as far into his or her mouth as possible. If you need help finding the proper positioning, ask a nurse, midwife, or other experienced mother for some help breastfeeding.

4. Nipple Upkeep - When you first begin breastfeeding your nipples may become very sore. After each breastfeeding session rub a small amount of breast milk on and around each nipple and allow it to air dry. This will help to prevent cracking which can lead to infection. In cases where your nipples do crack, coat them with breast milk, vitamin E oil, or lanolin to help them heal. Be aware that some babies may have an allergic reaction to certain moisturizing agents. Proper positioning while breastfeeding is very important to avoid sore nipples.

5. Look Out for Breast Infection - If you experience a fever or painful lumps and redness in your breasts, you should seek medical attention immediately.

6. Postpone Using Artificial Nipples - If you are going to be breastfeeding your baby, avoid introducing pacifiers or other artificial nipples too early. Artificial nipples require a different sucking action than the real thing and it can be easy for the baby to become confused. Try to wait until after a couple weeks of breastfeeding before introducing any sort of fake nipples.

7. No Supplements Needed - There is no need to supplement breastfeeding with sugar water or formula. Neither of these come close to comparing with the nutritional complexity of your breast milk, and they may interfere with the baby's appetite for breastfeeding and lead to a diminished milk supply. Breastfeeding your baby more often will in turn cause you to produce more milk.

8. Engorgement - When you first begin breastfeeding, you will be producing a lot of milk, which can make you breasts big, hard, and painful. You can help to ease this engorgement by breastfeeding frequently until your body adjusts to produce only as much as the baby needs. While your body adjusts, you can help to relieve the pain by applying warm, wet compresses or taking warm baths. Some over-the-counter pain relievers will help, but consult your doctor before taking any sort of drug, since it may be passed through your milk to the baby.

9. Stay Healthy - A mother who is breastfeeding needs to eat a healthy diet in order to produce enough good milk. You should try and get an extra 500 calories a day, drink 6 to 8 glasses of fluids, and avoid drugs, alcohol, caffeine, and smoke. You should also rest as much as possible while breastfeeding, since breast infections are aggravated by fatigue. 

August is National Breastfeeding Month

This year the theme is "A Breastfeeding Journey Together." Stay tuned for more information, events, fun activities and support!