Health Professionals

Breastfeeding

Why breastfeed?

Breastfeeding is important for mother and baby health. Any amount of breast milk offered to your baby is good.

In Australia, it is recommended that infants are exclusively* breastfed until around six months of age when solid foods are introduced, and that breastfeeding is continued until 12 months of age and beyond, for as long as the mother and child desire.¹

*Infant receives only breast milk. No other liquids or solids are given, not even water, with the exception of oral rehydration solution, or drops/syrups of vitamins, minerals or medicines.

Breastmilk is the ideal food for infants. It is safe, clean and contains antibodies which help protect against many common childhood illnesses. Breastmilk provides all the energy and nutrients that infants need for around the first six months of life. From six to 12 months breastmilk continues to provide up to half or more of a child’s nutritional needs and up to one third of a child’s nutritional needs between 12 months and two years.

Breastfed children are less likely to be overweight or obese and less prone to diabetes later in life. Women who breastfeed also have a reduced risk of breast and ovarian cancers.

Need help with breastfeeding?

Breastfeeding is a learned skill, which needs practice. The more you feed your baby, the easier it will get. More information and support is available from the following:

Breastfeeding Education Live – online sessions

Interactive breastfeeding education webinar sessions for expectant parents. Learn and practice how breastfeeding works. Click here for more information

CCLHD breastfeeding support clinics

These breastfeeding support sessions for Central Coast residents are run by child and family health nurses to support, protect and promote breastfeeding. Click here for community health centre locations and times.

Australian Breastfeeding Association (ABA)

Call the Breastfeeding Helpline on 1800 686 268. This helpline is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and staffed by trained, volunteer counsellors.

The ABA website provides a range of resources to support, educate and advocate for a breastfeeding inclusive society. You can hire a breast pump through ABA.

The mum2mum app provides breastfeeding information and support based on your baby or child’s age.

Raising Children Network

An Australian parenting website that provides articles, videos and interactive resources tailored to different ages and stages. Breastfeeding information can be found in the ‘newborn’ and ‘babies’ tabs.

MotherSafe

For women and healthcare providers concerned about exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding. more information, click here or call 1800 647 848.

Other support for breastfeeding

Five ways family and friends can support a mother to breastfeed

Offer encouragement.
Help with the baby between feeds, and older children in the family, to allow the mother to rest or nap.
Make nutritious meals and snacks to help increase her energy.
Help with cleaning and other jobs around the house to decrease these responsibilities.
Find breastfeeding friendly meeting places.

SMS4dads Receive free text messages sent straight to your phone – with tips, information and links to other services to help fathers understand and connect with their baby and support their partner.

Grandparents play an important part in the encouragement and support of breastfeeding. More information for grandparents can be found here.

There are no benefits to starting solid foods before around six months. Starting too early can contribute to a decrease in breast milk production. Starting Family Foods provides current advice on introducing your baby to solid foods.

Support for breastfeeding in public

Look for the ‘We Are Breastfeeding Friendly’ sticker in Central Coast businesses and facilities that are supportive of mothers’ breastfeeding on their premises. There are more than 300 on the Central Coast helping to promote a positive attitude towards breastfeeding in the community.

If you have a business or know of a business that is breastfeeding friendly and would like to participate, contact Nutrition Services, Central Coast Local Health District for free breastfeeding friendly stickers and kit. Call 4320 2251.

Celebrating World Breastfeeding Week 2020

In 2020, the Central Coast Local Health District Breastfeeding and Infant Feeding Reference Group offered a community art competition. There were some wonderful entries!

The following virtual gallery is a presentation of the selected entries along with comments from the artists and judges.

References

¹National health and Medical Research Council 2012, Infant Feeding Guidelines, Canberra. National Health and Medical Research Council.

E-cigarettes

By Health Promotion

Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are devices that produce a vapour which is breathed in. The process is similar to smoking, except you don’t have to burn the tobacco.

E-cigarettes are often promoted as a healthier option, but this may not be the case. Many e-cigarettes still contain nicotine as well as other potentially harmful chemicals such as ammonia that are breathed into your lungs and very quickly absorbed into your body. Smokers inhale so much and so frequently that we just don’t know what the impacts of these chemicals will be. However, we do know e-cigarettes containing nicotine are addictive, just like tobacco.

Smoking e-cigarettes is not recommended as a means to quit tobacco smoking. If you are trying to quit smoking, Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) is a better choice. NRT is designed to gradually release nicotine into your body to help relieve symptoms you may get when you are trying to quit. However, NRT avoids the surge of nicotine that enhances addiction. It’s that surge of nicotine from a cigarette or an e-cigarette that provides the reward and keeps you addicted. NRT avoids this, while buffering withdrawal symptoms.

Quitting smoking can improve your quality of life by having a positive impact on your physical health. What’s more, research shows that, after the nicotine withdrawal has been overcome, there are substantial long-lasting improvements to your mental health with reduced levels of anxiety and depression. Swapping to e-cigarettes won’t give you the same result.

If you would like help to quit, or you would like to refer someone to get help, call the Quitline on 13 7848, or talk to your health professional.

E-cigarettes – the top 5 issues

1. Availability and take-up is increasing

In countries like the USA where e-cigarettes are very easy to buy, young people have been taking them up at an alarming rate. In 2014, e-cigarette use tripled among high school students compared to the previous year. Even more alarmingly, there was no downward trend in tobacco use.

2. They are a gateway to smoking tobacco and other drugs

Studies around the world (such as these from the USA, Canada and Germany) have found high school students who have never smoked, but start using e-cigarettes, are much more likely to end up smoking tobacco.

3. No one can be sure they’re safe

E-cigarettes have the potential to be addictive, which means people are at risk of exposure to large amounts of nicotine and other potentially harmful chemicals. Some of these chemicals are not in tobacco smoke, so it is unknown what long-term health consequences they will have. However, evidence is growing, and some studies have linked them to issues such as blood pressure, heart rate and arterial stiffness. Both the Australian Government and World Health Organization have recently issued warnings on the health implications of inhaling harmful toxics in e-cigarettes.

4. They don’t help people quit

When e-cigarettes were first available, it was thought they could be used to help smokers cut down and eventually quit smoking tobacco. Since then, more evidence has come to light. E-cigarettes aren’t any more effective at helping people quit. Worse, they often result in smokers using both e-cigarettes and tobacco.

5. They are not regulated in many countries

Even though restrictions on tobacco advertising and product placement have been in place for many years, e-cigarettes are not as tightly governed… yet. Like tobacco companies before them, e-cigarettes have snuck their way into Hollywood movies because it’s a tried and tested way of getting people to smoke.

NSW Health has been careful in regulating the use of e-cigarettes. Click here to read more about the regulations in place.

Central Coast Munch & Move newsletters

By Health Promotion

Our Central Coast Munch & Move newsletters are loaded with valuable healthy development information and resources for educators in early childhood education and care services.

To find out more about the Munch & Move program, which promotes a fun and play-based approach to supporting healthy eating and physical activity habits in young children, click here.

Current Central Coast Munch & Move newsletter

Check out the latest edition of the Central Coast Munch & Move newsletter, which includes upcoming professional development, new resources and programs.

Term 3 2020

Previous editions

Read our previous Central Coast Munch & Move newsletters for loads more useful material for your early childhood service.

Good Bite fact sheets

You might also be interested in our Good Bite fact sheets from the Central Coast Public Health and Community Nutrition team. They contain recipes and advice for parents and carers of children ages 0–5 years old. There’s also a dedicated version for childcare staff as well. Download the latest editions below.

Good Bite at home

Good Bite for childcare staff

How green is your canteen?

By HEALTH Promotion

The Central Coast Environmental Education Network is challenging schools to reduce single use plastic and champion plastic free canteens. Schools that can demonstrate change can win a $50 voucher and will be presented with a plaque for their canteen to show they are the winning school for the term.

Schools can choose what steps they can take, from replacing plastic cutlery with re-usable (or compostable) cutlery, phasing out plastic straws, talking to their suppliers about reducing unnecessary plastic packaging or other alternative plastic reduction actions.

New schools can get involved by completing the online Green Canteen survey (on Rumbalara EEC’s website) and will receive a gift of wooden cutlery or paper straws.
Schools that have already been involved can choose a new action and tell us what you have changed by sending us a photo of the change along with a photo of your actions poster. Please send us an email to inform us of your schools involvement.

Email to [email protected]

How to be involved

1. All schools will receive a “How Green is your Canteen?” poster. Hang your poster near your canteen to show your support.
2. New schools that take the challenge should fill in the survey on the Rumbalara website and will receive free sustainable cutlery or straws.
https://rumbalara-e.schools.nsw.gov.au/green-canteens.html
3. Make some sustainable changes to your canteen and school and tick off the changes on the “Steps to A Green Canteen’ poster.
4. By the end of Term 3 tell us what you have changed by sending us a photo of the change along with a photo of your actions poster and email to
[email protected]
5. A panel will review each schools submission and advise the winner.

Green Canteen project is supported by Rumbalara Environmental Education Centre, Kariong Eco Garden, Community Environment Network, Central Coast Council, Australian Take3 and Cleanaway.

Infographics

By Health Promotion

We have a library of infographics available for download to use in newsletters or social media. Topics include healthy eating, being active, choosing water and screen time. A small selection of infographics are included below. To download just click on the image and then right click and choose ‘save as’.

Meal times - involve kids in the shopping

Meal time - involve kids with cooking — Lunch box builder

If you would like to request other infographics please ring our team on 4320 9700 and ask for Jane, Justine, Chad or Jeff who will tailor a set for your needs or complete form below.

Read More

Preventing Falls

By Health Promotion

Health Promotion provides older people, their families, carers and health professionals with information and actions that can be taken to reduce the risk of falls and the injury from falls, enabling people to love independently in the Community.

Want to find out how to arrange a FREE Falls Prevention talk to your seniors group?