WARWICK, NY – (July 31) Last year St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, NY, a member of the Bon Secours Charity Health System, formed a Breastfeeding Support Group open to all breastfeeding moms and their babies. The support group was created by Amy Fotino, RN, an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC).
On Friday, July 31, members of that support group gathered with their babies and preschool age siblings under a tent on the lawn outside nearby Mount Alverno Center. They were there to participate in The Big Latch On, an International event where groups of breastfeeding women come together at registered locations throughout the world to latch on and breastfeed their babies at a set time. The number of women participating is then counted by witnesses at each location and that number is reported to The Global Big Latch On.
The Big Latch On was created to encourage communities to make breastfeeding a normal part of day-to-day life. The goal of the event is to increase community awareness and support for women who breastfeed, their infants, partners and families.
Last year there were 14,000 moms and 15,000 babies counted worldwide. This year's count for the St. Anthony Community Hospital support group was 21.
Both the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists strongly recommend breastfeeding. An initiative within one of the five Health Priorities for New York State, breastfeeding is also directly linked to a lower chance of obesity later in life.
Those who attended the event at Mount Alverno were treated to soft background music, served refreshments and eligible to participate in a raffle for 10 prizes donated by members of the Warwick business community.
Fotino is also the driving force behind the "Breast and Rest at Applefest," tent, which she began in 2012. Prior to that, there was no place for a nursing mom to comfortably feed her baby at the region's largest festival. Now, "Breast and Rest" is a feature at the annual event.
For additional information about the Breastfeeding Support Group, moms are invited to email Amy Fotino at
lactology@gmail.com or to call the St. Anthony Community Hospital Kennedy Birthing Center, (845) 987-5124.
About Bon Secours Charity Health System
Every year, nearly one million people in the lower Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Pennsylvania turn to Bon Secours Charity Health System (BSCHS) for innovative healthcare delivered with compassion. BSCHS has received national recognition, rankings and numerous awards for the level of care it provides.
BSCHS is comprised of Good Samaritan Regional Medical Center in Suffern, NY; Bon Secours Community Hospital in Port Jervis, NY; St. Anthony Community Hospital in Warwick, NY; a certified home health agency; two long-term care facilities; an assisted living/adult home facility and several other medical programs located throughout the region. The system employs more than 3,400, making it one of the region's largest employers
Bon Secours Medical Group is BSCHS's regional network of nearly 80 primary care physicians and specialists from a broad array of medical disciplines. These skilled clinicians play a central role in bringing personalized, preventive and expert care to people from every stage of life.
BSCHS is a member of the Bon Secours Health System—a national Catholic healthcare system with a strong reputation and robust commitment to bringing compassionate healthcare to those in need. For more information, visit www.BSCHS.BonSecours.com. For a complete list of practitioners, visit
http://bschs.org/find-a-physician-bon-secours-medical-group.html
Photos:
1. Amy Fotino, RN, IBCLC (left) begins the countdown for the Global Big Latch On.
2. Members of the St. Anthony Community Hospital Breastfeeding Support Group at this year's Global Big Latch On.
3. Susan Alicea with her baby Leah, 7 mos. who also happens to be the first baby of the 2015 New Year born at the St. Anthony Community Hospital Kennedy Birthing Center.
4. Sharing the experience with new friends is part of belonging to the St. Anthony Community Hospital Breastfeeding Support Group.