Mothers taking baby steps
National Breastfeeding Awareness Month
Just a week before the city of Los Angeles opened a lactation room in City Hall for nursing mothers, dozens of women and mothers from seven WIC centers walked last Wednesday to promote breast-feeding’s multiple benefits for infants. The walkers above are from the Compton center. Walks also took place in Huntington Park, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Bell Gardens and Cudahy. The walks were among many held throughout the country during August, National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. The WIC Supplemental Nutrition Program of the California Department of Health Services says compared to a mother’s breast milk, formula is missing many things babies need to be strong, healthy and smart.
Thousands of mothers, staff and participants from local Women, Infant and Children (WIC) centers hoisted signs, carried banners and pushed strollers during Breastfeeding Awareness Walks in the cities of Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Bell Gardens, Huntington Park and Cudahy to promote breastfeeding and its benefits. The marches were among many taking place throughout the country during August, which is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. They were conducted on Thursday.
Thousands of African American infants, children, pregnant teens and teenage moms residing in Los Angeles County from families with modest incomes are becoming eligible for millions of dollars worth of food checks from WIC. The same is true for infants throughout the state.
These infants and youth were never before eligible for food checks and other WIC benefits because their parents’ incomes were too high. The checks will enable parents to purchase a wide variety of nutritious foods at area markets.
Mothers from seven area WIC (Women, Infants and Children) centers will march up and down area streets to promote breast-feeding and its benefits as part of their Breast-feeding Awareness Walks Wednesday, Aug. 8.
The walks will take place in seven cities—Huntington Park, Lynwood, Paramount, South Gate, Bell Gardens, Compton and Cudahy.
These local Breast-feeding Awareness Walks are sponsored by South Los Angeles Health Projects, which manages 11 WIC centers, including several in the city of Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a ban on the use of plastic bags in the unincorporated areas, and it begins July 1.
The ban affects all local supermarkets like Food 4 Less, Ralph’s, Albertsons, Sam’s Club as well as large retail stores with a pharmacy including CVS and Walgreens.
Great Beginnings for Black Babies’ Black Infant Health (BIH) is a program that provides pregnant women in their first trimester and beyond with prenatal health education, parenting classes, social support, empowerment groups and referrals for free pregnancy testing, doctors, Medi-Cal/Healthy Families, WIC, community and social services, day care resources and more.
The program will host a free health resource fair, “Celebrating Healthy Babies—Past, Present and Future,” beginning at 10 a.m., Saturday in Rancho Cienega Park, 5001 Rodeo Road.
