Practical Steps to Prevent Breast Cancer: Day 5 - Breastfeed, If Possible | Public Health Sciences Division

It’s day five in our nine day series highlighting key steps and practical tips that can help women lower their risk of breast cancer. Previous days.

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Day 5 – Breastfeed, If Possible

Breastfeeding for a total of one year or more (combined for all children) lowers the risk of breast cancer. It also has great health benefits for the child. Unfortunately, as natural a thing as breastfeeding is, it doesn’t always naturally fit into today’s modern society. While things are certainly better than they were — with more understanding workplaces and day care providers — moms still often need to work hard to make it work.

Tips and Tricks – Breastfeeding

Start early and ask for help. Breastfeeding has the best chance of success when it’s started early, and this usually means beginning an hour or less after the baby is born. Many hospitals help mothers initiate breastfeeding, but it’s also best to let the delivery nurses know your desire to breastfeed your baby. If you have questions, ask. If you have problems, ask. Many hospitals offer great support for new moms who want to breastfeed – not only in the hours after birth, but the days, weeks, and months after as well.

Don’t be shy. Even though there are still a few vocal opponents to breastfeeding in public, put them at the back your mind, and charge forward and breastfeed when and where you need to. Job interviews and work meetings may not be the best venues to do so, but most other places are just fine.

Coordinate with your workplace and day care provider. Going back to work is just a fact of life for most new moms, and balancing work and breastfeeding can be a real challenge. A large percentage of new moms are interested in breastfeeding their children, and employers and day cares have taken note, offering much better resources than they used to. If you’re unsure about the resources available to you, ask. The human resources office is a good place to start.