FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact: Jennifer Day, Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition Chairperson
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (248) 431-1403
Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition celebrates, spreads awareness for Breastfeeding Awareness Month
July 21, 2015 – Pontiac, MI – August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the celebration kicks off with World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7. The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition joins the Michigan Breastfeeding Network and other local breastfeeding coalitions across Metro Detroit in an effort to help normalize breastfeeding and foster a breastfeeding-friendly culture in our state.
This year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week, as established by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, is “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s Make It Work!” Events and efforts around the state will focus not only on improving breastfeeding climate in the workplace, but also advancing breastfeeding throughout the community.
As a part of Breastfeeding Awareness Month activities and in an effort to celebrate breastfeeding, The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition in Partnership with the Oakland County Health Division will be announcing the Breastfeeding-Friendly Place awards for each of the three subcategories, including; Business, Employer and Pediatrician Office.
A woman’s ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding is influenced, in part, by the community in which she lives. The extent to which different components of her community – schools, public health programs, coalitions and organizations, the media and businesses – support breastfeeding plays an essential role in determining a mother’s success in breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding is not always supported in public spaces, even though the mother and baby are protected by law,” said Barb Jammer, interim executive director of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network. “Creating a breastfeeding-friendly culture in Michigan, including in the workplace, is crucial to improving breastfeeding success rates for mothers and their babies.”
There have been many legislative victories to help support breastfeeding mothers and Michigan businesses. One of these accomplishments was Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This 2010 federal legislation requires employers to provide reasonable break time as well as a location that is not a bathroom for breastfeeding mothers to express milk.
A more recent success was the Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act, which passed with bipartisan support in the Michigan legislature in June 2014. The state law gives women the right to nurse a child in any place that is open to the public in Michigan.
As we celebrate these triumphs for mothers and their families, we realize there is still more that can be done to spread the health, social, ecologic and economic benefits of breastfeeding as well as to foster a statewide breastfeeding-friendly culture. Though protected by laws, mothers are still discriminated against when nursing in public or are unsupported when returning back to work.
“We’re incredibly pleased that the right to nurse in public is now legally protected in Michigan, but going a step beyond, we’re also committed to honoring local businesses, workplaces and pediatricians that go above and beyond to support breastfeeding mothers, their babies and families here in Oakland County. With little accommodations on the job or being asked to leave an establishment mothers can feel confused as to whether breastfeeding truly is ‘normal’ and ‘natural’. This award says ‘YES’, we support those places that put our most vulnerable citizens best interests and health as top priorities.” says Jennifer Day, Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition, Chairperson.
Help support breastfeeding in Oakland County and a breastfeeding-friendly culture in Michigan by creating and supporting breastfeeding-friendly spaces for our families.
For more information about current breastfeeding legislation, MIBFN and your local coalition’s efforts to advance breastfeeding, or to learn more about ways your business can become breastfeeding-friendly, visit oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or www.mibreastfeeding.org.
About Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition
The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition provides breastfeeding support, networking opportunities, partnership building, advocacy and program development among community members and professionals. Partners of the coalition include Oakland County Health Division, St. John Providence Hospital-Southfield, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN), Healthy Pontiac WE CAN! and Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency. For more information about the coalition, please visit www.oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or on Facebook and Twitter by visiting https://www.facebook.com/OCBFCoalition https://twitter.com/OakBFCoalition.
About Michigan Breastfeeding Network
The mission of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN) is to optimize state and community support of breastfeeding by leading collaborative actions for advocacy, education, and coalition building. To learn more, visit www.mibreastfeeding.org
Media Contact: Jennifer Day, Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition Chairperson
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (248) 431-1403
Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition celebrates, spreads awareness for Breastfeeding Awareness Month
July 21, 2015 – Pontiac, MI – August is Breastfeeding Awareness Month and the celebration kicks off with World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7. The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition joins the Michigan Breastfeeding Network and other local breastfeeding coalitions across Metro Detroit in an effort to help normalize breastfeeding and foster a breastfeeding-friendly culture in our state.
This year’s theme for World Breastfeeding Week, as established by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action, is “Breastfeeding and Work: Let’s Make It Work!” Events and efforts around the state will focus not only on improving breastfeeding climate in the workplace, but also advancing breastfeeding throughout the community.
As a part of Breastfeeding Awareness Month activities and in an effort to celebrate breastfeeding, The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition in Partnership with the Oakland County Health Division will be announcing the Breastfeeding-Friendly Place awards for each of the three subcategories, including; Business, Employer and Pediatrician Office.
A woman’s ability to initiate and sustain breastfeeding is influenced, in part, by the community in which she lives. The extent to which different components of her community – schools, public health programs, coalitions and organizations, the media and businesses – support breastfeeding plays an essential role in determining a mother’s success in breastfeeding.
“Breastfeeding is not always supported in public spaces, even though the mother and baby are protected by law,” said Barb Jammer, interim executive director of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network. “Creating a breastfeeding-friendly culture in Michigan, including in the workplace, is crucial to improving breastfeeding success rates for mothers and their babies.”
There have been many legislative victories to help support breastfeeding mothers and Michigan businesses. One of these accomplishments was Break Time for Nursing Mothers under the Fair Labor Standards Act. This 2010 federal legislation requires employers to provide reasonable break time as well as a location that is not a bathroom for breastfeeding mothers to express milk.
A more recent success was the Breastfeeding Anti-Discrimination Act, which passed with bipartisan support in the Michigan legislature in June 2014. The state law gives women the right to nurse a child in any place that is open to the public in Michigan.
As we celebrate these triumphs for mothers and their families, we realize there is still more that can be done to spread the health, social, ecologic and economic benefits of breastfeeding as well as to foster a statewide breastfeeding-friendly culture. Though protected by laws, mothers are still discriminated against when nursing in public or are unsupported when returning back to work.
“We’re incredibly pleased that the right to nurse in public is now legally protected in Michigan, but going a step beyond, we’re also committed to honoring local businesses, workplaces and pediatricians that go above and beyond to support breastfeeding mothers, their babies and families here in Oakland County. With little accommodations on the job or being asked to leave an establishment mothers can feel confused as to whether breastfeeding truly is ‘normal’ and ‘natural’. This award says ‘YES’, we support those places that put our most vulnerable citizens best interests and health as top priorities.” says Jennifer Day, Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition, Chairperson.
Help support breastfeeding in Oakland County and a breastfeeding-friendly culture in Michigan by creating and supporting breastfeeding-friendly spaces for our families.
For more information about current breastfeeding legislation, MIBFN and your local coalition’s efforts to advance breastfeeding, or to learn more about ways your business can become breastfeeding-friendly, visit oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or www.mibreastfeeding.org.
About Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition
The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition provides breastfeeding support, networking opportunities, partnership building, advocacy and program development among community members and professionals. Partners of the coalition include Oakland County Health Division, St. John Providence Hospital-Southfield, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN), Healthy Pontiac WE CAN! and Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency. For more information about the coalition, please visit www.oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or on Facebook and Twitter by visiting https://www.facebook.com/OCBFCoalition https://twitter.com/OakBFCoalition.
About Michigan Breastfeeding Network
The mission of the Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBFN) is to optimize state and community support of breastfeeding by leading collaborative actions for advocacy, education, and coalition building. To learn more, visit www.mibreastfeeding.org
Release Date: 5/27/2015 7:00 AM
Contact: Kathy Forzley, Health Officer/Manager of the Oakland County Health Division
Contact Phone: 248-858-1410
Pontiac, Michigan -- The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition is seeking nominations for its Breastfeeding-Friendly Place Awards in collaboration with the Oakland County Health Division Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Awards will honor Oakland County pediatrician offices, employers, and businesses that are taking extra steps to support breastfeeding mothers.
Complete an online nomination form at www.oakgov.com/health. Award nomination entries are due Friday, July 3, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
“Businesses, employers, and pediatrician offices that accommodate breastfeeding mothers are helping to develop healthy children,” said Kathy Forzley, Health Division manager/health officer. “A natural first food, breast milk contains all the nutrients that newborns and infants need.”
Breastmilk helps keep babies healthy by:
The coalition will announce award winners during the first week of Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August.
“We’re pleased that nursing in public is now legally protected in Michigan,” said Jennifer Day, chairperson of the Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition. “We are committed to honoring local places that go above and beyond to support breastfeeding mothers, babies and families in Oakland County.”
About the Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition
The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition provides breastfeeding support, networking opportunities, partnership building, advocacy and program development among community members and professionals. Partners of the coalition include Oakland County Health Division, St. John Providence Hospital-Southfield, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBN), and Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency. For more information about the coalition, please visit www.oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OCBFCoalition
For more information, visit www.oakgov.com/health or call Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY: Contact Kathy Forzley, health officer/manager of the Oakland County Health Division, at 248-858-1410.
https://www.oakgov.com/news/Pages/pr_15_49.aspx
Contact: Kathy Forzley, Health Officer/Manager of the Oakland County Health Division
Contact Phone: 248-858-1410
Pontiac, Michigan -- The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition is seeking nominations for its Breastfeeding-Friendly Place Awards in collaboration with the Oakland County Health Division Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. Awards will honor Oakland County pediatrician offices, employers, and businesses that are taking extra steps to support breastfeeding mothers.
Complete an online nomination form at www.oakgov.com/health. Award nomination entries are due Friday, July 3, 2015 at 5:00 p.m.
“Businesses, employers, and pediatrician offices that accommodate breastfeeding mothers are helping to develop healthy children,” said Kathy Forzley, Health Division manager/health officer. “A natural first food, breast milk contains all the nutrients that newborns and infants need.”
Breastmilk helps keep babies healthy by:
- Supplying all the necessary nutrients in the proper proportions
- Protecting against diseases, infections, allergies and obesity
- Being easily digested - no constipation, diarrhea or upset stomach
The coalition will announce award winners during the first week of Breastfeeding Awareness Month in August.
“We’re pleased that nursing in public is now legally protected in Michigan,” said Jennifer Day, chairperson of the Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition. “We are committed to honoring local places that go above and beyond to support breastfeeding mothers, babies and families in Oakland County.”
About the Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition
The Oakland County Breastfeeding Coalition provides breastfeeding support, networking opportunities, partnership building, advocacy and program development among community members and professionals. Partners of the coalition include Oakland County Health Division, St. John Providence Hospital-Southfield, St. Joseph Mercy Oakland, Michigan Breastfeeding Network (MIBN), and Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency. For more information about the coalition, please visit www.oaklandcountybfingcoalition.weebly.com or on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OCBFCoalition
For more information, visit www.oakgov.com/health or call Nurse on Call at 800-848-5533.
FOR MEDIA INQUIRIES ONLY: Contact Kathy Forzley, health officer/manager of the Oakland County Health Division, at 248-858-1410.
https://www.oakgov.com/news/Pages/pr_15_49.aspx