Today marks the beginning of World Breastfeeding Week,reports KOTV.To honor the occasion, Oklahoma health officials are reminding residents of how they can support breastfeeding mothers.
The Oklahoma Department of Health notes that employers can support new mothers by providing flexible break times, and by making sure workplaces have private areas to allow mothers to breastfeed.
Childcare providers can help out by ensuring that they’re properly storing and delivering expressed breast milk.
And healthcare professionals can support breastfeeding by providing accurate information to new mothers and directing them to lactation professionals for further questions.
As of 2014, 85 percent of new Oklahoma mothers had decided to breastfeed their newborns. The OKDH insists that community support is necessary to assure that Oklahoma babies grow up healthy.