NEWS RELEASE
PORCUPINE HEALTH UNIT
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The Porcupine Health Unit’s new Breastfeeding Clinic is now offering appointments at the Timmins office located at 169 Pine Street South.
“Breastfeeding doesn’t always come naturally and it can take some time for mothers and baby to learn. When there are breastfeeding challenges mothers may need help from a professional trained in breastfeeding” states Pamela Drynan, Lactation Consultant and Public Health Nurse with the Growing Healthy Families Program at the health unit.
“Most women in our area are deciding to breastfeed their babies. To help these mothers meet their breastfeeding goals, our breastfeeding clinic will be available Monday to Friday to either answer mom’s questions or help with any breastfeeding challenges she and her baby may be facing,” says Drynan.
She says that face-to-face breastfeeding support increases the potential for positive breastfeeding outcomes.
Both the World Health Organization and the Canadian Pediatric Society recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of age.
Drynan says that most moms want to breastfeed, but get conflicting advice. “That’s why the Breastfeeding Clinic is a great way for moms to ask questions directly of a nurse specializing in breastfeeding.”
Drynan also states that “breastfeeding rates in our area are below the provincial average, and an even smaller percentage of mothers are still breastfeeding at two weeks and six months after delivery. We’d like to improve those numbers and we are hoping the clinic will help us do that.”
The clinics will be offered Monday to Friday, excluding holidays. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling the health unit at 705-267-1181.
The Porcupine Health Unit is located in Northeastern Ontario, serving the entire Cochrane District and Hornepayne, in Algoma District. The main office is located in Timmins, Ontario, with branch offices in Cochrane, Hearst, Hornepayne, Iroquois Falls, Kapuskasing, Matheson, Moosonee and Smooth Rock Falls.
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