In celebration of World Breast feeding Month, local residents
are teaming up to spread the word about the benefits of breast
feeding for both mother and child.
Hollister – In celebration of World Breast feeding Month, local residents are teaming up to spread the word about the benefits of breast feeding for both mother and child.
Yvonne Bannister, childbirth and yoga educator of the Luv’n Touch Family Center, will be sponsoring a Breast feeding Awareness walk down San Benito Street August 13 at 10am.
“I wasn’t part of the event last year,” she said, “but the primary reason I wanted to take it up again is because of a particular client of mine. Her family supports her breast feeding at home, but not in public. People need to feel comfortable breast feeding their children wherever they want, for as long as they want.”
The event has gained popular support in Hollister since it began five years ago. The first walk had 35 participants, with 50 the next year and 75 the year after that, said Bannister.
When local residents Mike and Amanda Montoya had their first child Alexis a month ago the decision to breastfeed seemed obvious.
“You read all the books about baby nutrition telling you to breastfeed,” said Mr. Montoya. “Even the formula catalogs tell you it’s best to breastfeed, so there’s no good reason not to. Yvonne was our doula during the pregnancy, and when she told us about Breast feeding Month, we were eager to help her promote it.”
Bannister runs a breast feeding support group from her studio, meeting on the second Monday of every month. The group seeks to provide a social outlet for women who may have questions, or just want to get out of the house with their babies.
“Breast feeding is just plain good for the babies, good for the mothers, and therefore good for the community,” Bannister said. “With the Relay for Life happening this weekend, we’re hoping to highlight the fact that breast feeding reduces the risk of breast and uterine cancer in mothers – and if a baby girl is nursing, her risk for breast and uterine cancer is reduced, too. It’s not a cure, but we hope this will encourage people to breastfeed, especially if there’s a history of cancer in the family.”
The advantages of breast feeding are no longer in dispute. Womenshealth.gov has compiled a list of facts encouraging mothers to nurse their children, citing studies which indicate that children who are breastfed are less likely to develop obesity later in life.
Breast feeding also burns calories, helping women lose weight gained during pregnancy. Breastfed babies fight off ear infections, diarrhea and respiratory illnesses far better than other children. And children who were breastfed in infancy statistically score better on standardized tests later in life than those who were bottle-fed.
“The community needs to know we support breast feeding, it’s natural and it’s okay,” said Bannister. “Every year around this time, I make breast cookies for all the local doctors, so they remember. This year, I’m recruiting some neighbor girls of mine… when they asked how to make a breast cookie, I explained it’s very simple: It’s just a regular sugar cookie with a chocolate or butterscotch chip in the center.”
For those wishing to get involved with the Breast feeding Awareness Walk, Bannister can be reached at her studio at 637-8594.
