HomeWorking Together To Promote Breastfeeding

Nutritional Benefits to Babies Who Breastfeed

  • Provides most complete and optimal mix of nutrients & antibodies
  • Keeps pace with infant’s growth and changing nutritional needs

Health Benefits:

  • Protects against stomach upsets, ear infections, respiratory illnesses, allergies, asthma, meningitis, childhood lymphoma, Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis
  • Reduces risk of childhood diabetes and SIDS
  • Increases bone density
  • Reduces risk of heart disease later in life

Developmental Benefits:

  • Develops higher IQ’s
  • Improves brain & nervous system development

Emotional Benefits:

  • Improves emotional development
  • Promotes special warm bonding & emotional relationship with mom

Health Benefits to Moms Who Breastfeed:

  • Protects against osteoporosis and hip fracture later in life
  • Reduces risk of breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers and anemia
  • Helps return mom’s body to its pre-pregnancy state faster

Cost Benefits:

  • Breast milk is free, thus reducing or eliminating the cost of formula
  • Breastfed babies are sick less, thus reducing healthcare costs to family and requiring less time-off from work

Emotional Benefits:

  • Promotes special emotional relationship and bonding with baby

Benefits to the Environment & Society

  • Reduces cost of healthcare by promoting healthier moms & babies
  • Reduces insurance premiums for both parents & employers
  • Reduces tax burden on communities & government to ensure children are properly fed
  • Reduces absenteeism in the workplace due to children’s illness
  • Reduces global pollution by decreasing the use of resources and energy required to produce and distribute materials created by the manufacture & use of artificial baby milk

Breast Pump Rental

We offer breast pumps and hospital grade rental pump free of charge to WIC participants. Macoupin County residents may rent a hospital-grade breast pump for a nominal fee. Please contact Macoupin County Health Department for more information.

For further information on breastfeeding or services we provide contact:

Jennifer Swank, CLC

(217) 854-3692

(217) 313-5073

[email protected]