The Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition is collaborating with Lehigh Valley Find and Go Seek, to launch the Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley initiative in an effort to create more inclusive and normalized acceptance of nursing mothers in the Lehigh Valley. A directory will promote businesses and facilities in the area that are friendly to moms that breastfeed and their families. A feature will be added to the interactive website listings to indicate what businesses and programs have become participants in the program. Families can review their experiences and add information. Visit the Find and Go Seek website at lehighvalley.findandgoseek.net or visit Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition’s website.
Many well-recognized health organizations, from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the American Academy of Pediatrics to the U.S. Surgeon General and the World Health Organization, agree that breastfeeding provides significant health benefits to babies.
According to Leila Nassar, IBCLC/MA, “Breastfeeding, or pumping and bottle feeding breast milk, also has obvious financial benefits. Eliminating the need to spend money on formula – while keeping babies healthier, reducing the need for medicine and doctor visits – leaves families with more money to spend patronizing local businesses. When families feel accepted and supported, it fosters a stronger sense of community that benefits everyone.”
The goal of Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley is to make life easier for families, expand the community of support. and encourage Lehigh Valley businesses and their patrons to become familiar with the Pennsylvania Freedom to Breastfeed Act. When a business displays a Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley logo, that location welcomes and supports families with babies, including breastfeeding mothers, in accordance with the Pennsylvania “Freedom to Breastfeed Act.” These locations go beyond the law to provide a clean, comfortable space for breastfeeding (or pumping) and a diaper changing station. They may also offer products or services that support breastfeeding and baby care. Most importantly, they foster an atmosphere of acceptance and support.
For more information on joining the Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley initiative, please email lehighvalleybreastfeeding@gmail.com or complete the Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley form at www.lehighvalleybreastfeeding.org/BFLV
| The Freedom to Breastfeed Act
The General Assembly finds that breastfeeding a baby is an important and basic act of nurturing that must be protected in the interests of maternal and child health and family values. A mother shall be permitted to breastfeed her child in any location, public or private, where the mother and child are otherwise authorized to be present, irrespective of whether or not the mother’s breast is covered during or incidental to the breastfeeding. The act of breastfeeding shall not be considered indecent exposure, open lewdness, obscenity or sexual conduct, or a nuisance as defined in 18 Pa.C.S. § 3127, 5901, 5903, and 6504, respectively. – Pa. Stat. tit. 35 § 636.1 et seq. (2007) |
Representatives from Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition will be available for photo opportunities and comments at the following community events:
June 4, 11 am – 3 pm, Cumberland Gardens Community Fair, Cumberland Gardens Community Center, 501 E. Cumberland Street, Allentown
June 15, 6pm – 8pm, LVBC Monthly Meeting, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Kaysch Pavillion, ECC 5, 1200 S. Cedar Crest Blvd, Allentown
Businesses who have already joined Baby Friendly Lehigh Valley include:
Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Center
Pediatric Neurology of Lehigh Valley
Press Release and Information provided by: The Lehigh Valley Breastfeeding Coalition
