Piedmont nurse shares tips during Breastfeeding Awareness Month
Shelley Tatum, manager of women’s services at Piedmont Macon Medical Center, encourages mothers to contact the hospital for breastfeeding support.
MACON, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – A Piedmont doctor is sharing the benefits and tips for mothers during Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
Shelley Tatum, manager of women’s services at Piedmont Macon Medical Center, encourages mothers to contact the hospital for breastfeeding support. She says the resources are free for all mothers, whether they are patients at Piedmont or not.
“Breast milk is a complete food source for a baby,” says Tatum. ” It has all the vitamins and minerals . It has all the antibodies needed to support the baby during the early months of life.”
Tatum adds that breastfeeding has many benefits for moms, such as bonding with the baby and helping decrease the risk for postpartum hemorrhage and postpartum depression. She adds that it also lowers the risk for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, breast cancer and ovarian cancer later in life.
“For baby, it helps promote healthy brain development,” says Tatum. “It is noted that babies that breastfeed have a slightly higher IQ than the babies that don’t.”
Piedmont offers free breastfeeding classes that provide an overview of how breastfeeding works, guidance on common challenges, tips for proper latch and feeding times, nutrition advice for breastfeeding mothers, and hands-on positioning practice.
