Breastfeeding

General Information | Best Practices | Laws and Regulations

In recognition of World Breastfeeding Week, San Mateo County Health System is launching a social marketing campaign encouraging breastfeeding mothers to breastfeed longer than six months to increase the health benefits for their children and for themselves. 

Each Additional Month of Breastfeeding Helps Create a Stronger and Healthier Future for You and Your Baby.

Better for Your Baby
  • Protects your baby from obesity
  • Lowers the risk of your baby developing allergies
  • Saves you hundreds of dollars that you would have to spend on formula
  • Protects your baby from getting sick and helps prevent ear infections
  • Lowers your baby’s risk of having diabetes, asthma and cancer
Better for You
  • Helps you lose weight – breastfeeding burns 500-700 calories a day
  • Protects you from iron deficiency and helps you feel stronger
  • Reduces your risk of getting cancer, including breast cancer, uterine, ovarian and endometrial cancer
  • Reduces your risk of osteoporosis
  • You may get to sleep more - new moms who breastfeed sleep longer 

10 Reasons to Breastfeed Your Baby 

 

  • Breast milk is your baby’s perfect food. It has all the right nutrients, in just the right amounts.  
  • Breast milk is always ready.
  • Breast milk is constantly changing to meet the needs of your growing baby.
  • Breast milk makes your baby’s brain grow. This means your child could do better in school.
  • Breastfed babies are sick less often. They also don’t have as many earaches and allergies.
  • Breastfed babies have less diarrhea and stomach trouble because breast milk is so easy to digest.
  • Breastfeeding helps you feel close to your baby.
  • Breastfeeding is free food for your baby.
  • Breastfeeding is easier because there is nothing to carry, measure or heat. It makes nighttime feedings and travelling with the baby much easier.
  • Breastfeeding helps mom get back in shape. Breastfeeding burns 500 calories a day! It also helps to shrink the uterus back to its normal size. 

General Information 

For more information about breastfeeding in San Mateo County, visit www.smhealth.org/wic or call (800) 205-0333.

Find a La Leche League or Group Leader near you. Help with breastfeeding, information about breastfeeding and the law, lactation support and healthcare providers, and other resources available at this website. 

Kellymom offers information on breastfeeding, sleep, and parenting. The site includes information on how to start breastfeeding, breastfeeding tips that are age and stage specific, weaning, nutrition for mom and baby, and tips on common breastfeeding concerns. The site also includes personal and professional education materials, a parent forum, and opportunities to buy and read reviews on breastfeeding books and supplies.

Nursing Mothers Counsel (NMC) is a non-affiliated, non-profit organization whose goal is to help mothers enjoy a relaxed and happy feeding relationship with their babies by providing breastfeeding information and support. NMC offers assistance on the phone, but also offer home visits to resolve difficult problems without fee or obligation. The site includes pamphlets in English and Spanish on proper positioning, maintaining an adequate milk supply, and other breastfeeding topics.

Breastfeeding.com is a comprehensive online resource for pregnant or breastfeeding moms, and healthcare professionals. The site includes: 1) a directory of lactation consultants, doulas, midwives, and counselors, 2) an online forum for moms and healthcare providers, 3) video clips, 4) an answer and help center, 5) a reading room for articles and books on breastfeeding, and 6) information on nutrition and fitness, growth and development, positive parenting, safety, emotional health, etc. 

Breastfeeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles is dedicated to improving the health and wellbeing of infants and families through education, outreach, and advocacy to promote and support breastfeeding. The site includes information on upcoming breastfeeding seminars, breastfeeding outreach and advocacy, fact sheets, and resources to purchase breastfeeding books and supplies. 

California WIC Program promotes, supports and protects exclusive breastfeeding for approximately the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding for at least the first year. The site contains information for employers of breastfeeding mothers, breastfeeding data and statistics, publications and reports, educational materials in English and Spanish, infant feeding guidelines and pamphlets, breastfeeding peer counselor training manuals, and online courses for breastfeeding professionals. 

Best Practices

Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides information about the benefits of breastfeeding.

Womenshealth.gov, the federal government source for women’s health information, describes benefits of breastfeeding for moms, babies and society and links to additional resources and information.

CDC's Statistics on Breastfeeding Practices in the U.S.-Results from the National Immunization Survey (NIS), available August 2007

Does Breastfeeding Reduce the Risk of Pediatric Overweight? The health of American children is being threatened by overweight and the conditions that may stem from this problem, such as elevated serum lipid and insulin concentrations, elevated blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, and psychosocial problems. This Research to Practice (R2P) brief explores the relationship between breastfeeding and pediatric overweight. In addition to the practitioner's scientific review, newborn infant Crib Cards are being offered, that can be used by hospitals for recording newborn's vital information and help parents make this important infant feeding decision at the pertinent time.

Agency for Healthcare Research Quality published Breastfeeding and Maternal and Infant Health Outcomes in Developed Countries.

CDC Guide to Breastfeeding Interventions provides state and local community members information to choose the breastfeeding intervention that best meets their needs. 

When should a mother avoid breastfeeding?

Laws and Regulations Regarding Breastfeeding

California breastfeeding laws and regulations

La Leche League International has information on breastfeeding legislation, breastfeeding and family law, breastfeeding and jury duty, breastfeeding and employment and breastfeeding and public.

Breastfeeding Resources

Breastfeeding Services Table 

In event that there are any additions or corrections to be made, please contact:

Anne Garrett, RN, MS, IBCLC, RLC
Supervisor
WIC Breastfeeding Support Services
San Mateo County Family Health Services
2000 Alameda de las Pulgas, Suite 200
San Mateo, CA 94403
650-573-2955
agarrett@co.sanmateo.ca.us