www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver Weekend, Saturday October 25, 2008 - 25 Mothers need support for breastfeeding to work T he theme for this year's World Breastfeeding Week celebrated by more than 120 countries worldwide this month is Mother Support: Going for the Gold. This theme highlights the need for increased support for mothers in achieving the gold standard of infant feeding: breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months, and continued breastfeeding together with feeding other appropriate complementary foods for up to two years and beyond. A mother's need for support is similar to the needs of an Olympic athlete. Athletes combine personal determination and commitment with support from family, friends, trainers, community and government to compete successfully. In a similar way, a breastfeeding mother needs support to meet challenges including overcoming misinformation, breastfeeding while working outside the home, coping in emergency situations and, most importantly, conquering doubts about her ability to breastfeed her baby. A 2007 infant feeding study conducted by Halton Region Health Department found 93 per cent of new moms in Halton initially breastfed their babies. However, by six months after the baby's birth, only 64 per cent of mothers were still breastfeeding. Support for new mothers is vital to ensure that the gold standard for exclusivity and duration of breastfeeding is continued throughout the early stages of a baby's life. The support a mother receives can be as formal as a visit to a health care professional or as informal as a reassuring smile from another mother. Support can come from many places -- health professionals, hospital staff, baby-friendly policies, doulas and midwives, lactation consultants, trained peer counsellors such as the volunteers of the Halton Breastfeeding Connection, mother support groups such as the Milton Hub Drop-in or La Leche League, and friends and family. In Halton Region, the Halton Baby Friendly Initiative is a community coalition of health care providers, agencies and community members working together to support and promote breastfeeding. Education and support for new mothers are key elements to the coalition meeting this goal. The coalition has worked to provide consistent current information through the creation of the Breastfeeding Your Baby booklet, now distributed to all new moms by physicians, hospital staff, and public health nurses. Information on supporting baby-friendly practices, including how to breastfeed, where to get help, and other parent resources can also be found on the newly launched website www.babyfriendlyhalton.ca. The Halton Baby Friendly Initiative is also working to educate businesses and employers about the importance of supporting breastfeeding as a way to feed a baby by providing a welcoming environment to breastfeeding mothers. A free workplace toolkit including a staff education package, sample policy, as well as baby friendly decals can be ordered from the Baby Friendly website. Businesses and restaurants can also be identified on the website as baby friendly places if they wish. As a breastfeeding support advocate has stated: "Breastfeeding a baby is a community concern; a celebratory occasion--everyone has a role to make it successful. A breastfeeding friendly environment needs supportive people in every corner." (World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA), 2008) For more information, contact Halton Region at 905-825-6000, toll free 1-866-442-5866, TTY 905-827-9833 or visit www.halton.ca. -- Health Notes is prepared by staff of the Halton Region Health Department Homework Tips for Parents and Kids By Nikki Taylor Parent Education Manager Oakville Parent-Child Centre Fall is officially here, and the kids are settling into school. Do you ever wonder who the homework is actually for? If you feel like you are doing more than your fair share, maybe it is time to look at a few ideas to ease the struggle. Create a positive environment and climate for doing homework. · Provide an area that works for your child, and where you are easily available. · Tools such as pencils, paper, rulers etc. should be readily available. · Turn the TV and other distractions off. · Where possible work with your child to create a regular time to complete homework. · Be available for your child and have a positive attitude. Help your child to learn to get organized and manage his/her time. · Teach your child to use a planner to schedule homework assignments. · Use a family calendar to keep track of projects and assignments so you can help your child stay on top of them. · Follow up with your child about completion of work Allow your child to do the work. · Allow your child to do the work and earn the mark. This builds their self-confidence and sense of pride. · For children overwhelmed easily, break down the work into smaller steps. · Give children breaks during homework sessions. Understand what the school and teacher's homework policies are. · Communicate with your child's teacher about any concerns you have about homework. · Know what detail/quality your child's teacher expects so you can help your child to meet the expectations. · If there are special circumstances or situations that affect your child's homework completion, let the teacher know. The Centre is a registered charitable organization, that has provided programs and services for families since 1980. Our services are designed to support all families in their parenting role. We also offer early learning opportunities for children 0-6 years. Have you looked at your child's feet lately? · Sore Feet · Funny Walk · Orthotics · Tired Feet · Warts · Ingrown Nails TREATING FEET ALL AGES 0-10 NO REFERRALS NECESSARY SATURDAY APPOINTMENTS AVAILABL Chiropody is for more than you think. ELISABETH HIBBERT LISA HAYASHI FOOT CLINIC Hibbert & Associates 331 Sheddon Ave., Oakville 905.815.097 CHRISTINE BURTON ANNOUNCEMENT The Skin Klinic with Dr. Garnis-Jones is now operating as KNEE, HEEL & ARCH PAIN ARE TREATABLE! Understanding the source of your foot and knee pain could lead to permanent relief. Book a consultation today! SALIMA KASSAM REG. CHIROPODIST The Oakville Skin Clinic with Dr. Steve Choi New business hours: Monday to Friday 10am-6pm Services include: · acne, psoriasis, rosacea treatment · skin patch testing for allergie · mole removal · wart treatm · skin rejuvenation-sun damag pores, skin tightening, celluli · hair removal · medical grade skin care prod · BotoxTM for wrinkles and excessive sweating · fillers for wrinkles-Restylane, Perlane, Juvaderm · Thermage-non surgical face lift · medical grade facials from Clayton Shagal NEW LOCATION Free Parking in front of office We Treat: · Diabetic Foot Care · General Care · Custom Made Foot Orthotics Welcome back Pauline Pratte! 84 Lakeshore Road West, Oakville, ON L6K 1E1 P Covered by most insurance companies. For more information on programs, parenting and services offered by the Centre please contact us at (905) 849-5674 "No referrals necessary" 728 Burloak Drive 905-632-1414 www.footandhealthclinic.com 905-849-6366 www.op-cc.ca