House Call: Breastfeeding Pt. II

BRIDGEPORT, W.Va (WDTV) - Welcome back to UHC’s House Call on WDTV. In the second part of our four part series, Jamie Rudash joins us to talk about breastfeeding.

How long should a mother breastfeed?

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months; however, you may want to continued breastfeeding along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for approximately one year.

Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their children for at least 1 year. The longer an infant is breastfed, the greater the protection from certain illnesses and long-term diseases. The more months or years a woman breastfeeds the greater the benefits to her health as well.

Are special precautions needed for handling breast milk?

CDC does not list human breast milk as a body fluid to which universal precautions apply. Exposure to human breast milk has not been shown to lead to transmission of HIV or Hepatitis B infection.

How can a mother continue to provide breast milk to her infant after returning to work or school?

Being prepared for returning to work or school can help a mother ease the transition and continue to breastfeed after her maternity leave is over.

When a mother is away from her infant, she can pump, or hand express her breast milk so that her infant can drink breast milk from a bottle

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