In celebration of National Breastfeeding Month in August, Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network announces the Breastfeed Your Baby Here Community Initiative, which works with businesses and organizations to support breastfeeding mothers and babies in our community anytime, anywhere. When you see the Breastfeed Your Baby Here logo on display, it means that location welcomes and supports nursing mothers and babies. Partners can also offer “extended accommodations” to nursing mothers and families, such as a private or semi-private nursing space (other than a bathroom), a changing table, and allowing nursing moms to ‘drop-in’ to a business, regardless of whether or not they are a customer.
The Oneida County Health Department’s Diagnostic and Treatment Center is one of 13 established community partners. “We are very excited to support this initiative which seeks to normalize breastfeeding in our community. Breastfed babies are not only at reduced risk from ear infections, pneumonia, diarrhea and obesity but the health benefits extend into adulthood. Ensuring that there are welcoming places for women to feed their babies will make it easier for them to make the choice to breastfeed.” says Phyllis Ellis, Director of Health at the Oneida County Health Department.
Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network recently received a Community Impact Grant from the American Heart Association to promote partners through a mobile website. This will allow nursing mothers to search for breastfeeding -friendly organizations and businesses in Oneida and Herkimer Counties, and access the business location and available accommodations. Mohawk Valley Perinatal Network would like to thank our 13 current partnering businesses and organizations for helping normalize breastfeeding in public, and for offering accommodations for nursing women and families beyond the minimum.
Current partners in the Utica area include:
- The Bagel Grove
- Café Domenico
- Dunham Public Library
- Evelyn’s House
- Oneida County Health Department Diagnostic and Treatment Center
- Peter’s Cornucopia
- The Tramontane Café
Partners in the Herkimer area include:
- The Community Co-op
- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Herkimer County
- Herkimer County Healthy Families/Herkimer County Public Health
- Herkimer/Madison County WIC Program
- The Center for Family Life and Recovery (in both Utica and Herkimer)
To become a Breastfeed Your Baby Here Community Partner or request breastfeeding support materials please contact Kayleigh Riesel. (315) 732-4657 / kriesel@newfamily.org.