Nebraska nonprofits highlight benefits of breastfeeding

LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Nebraska nonprofits say breastfeeding could have significant health benefits for you and your baby.

As part of Breastfeeding Awareness Month, local organizations are trying to “normalize” the practice for every Nebraska family. 

Angie Cantrell, director of community engagement with MilkWorks, said the list of benefits is long.

“Lower diabetes rates for both mom and baby, moms have a reduced rate of reproductive cancers like breast and ovarian, babies get all the immunological benefits,” she said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that the country’s relatively low breastfeeding rate results in about $3 billion a year in extra medical costs.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding. 

Gaby Valverde, a bilingual nurse and board-certified lactation consultant, told Nebraska News Connection that more education is needed to promote breastfeeding in Nebraska’s rural communities.

“I have heard many women sharing stories about being worried about the stigma in the community about breastfeeding in public,” Valverde said. “So, a lot of mothers feel embarrassed. Sometimes they isolate.”

In 2022, President Joe Biden signed into law the Pump Act, which requires employers to provide breastfeeding moms with breaks and a private place to pump during work hours for up to a year after their child is born.