Babies like what moms have to offer: CLSC nurse

BY MARC LALONDE

The Chronicle

A roomful of babies can brighten anyone’s day, so it’s no surprise that a celebration held to mark International Breastfeeding Week in Pointe Claire last Thursday was pretty well all smiles.

Breastfeeding support group Nourri-Source, which holds breastfeeding clinics every Thursday at the CLSC Lac St. Louis, marked the occasion last Thursday with a celebration — and a whole lot of babies.

The sessions act as part instructional time, part support groups for new moms, often stuck alone in the house and isolated from other adults.

“Every Thursday afternoon we’re here,� said Nourri-Source co-ordinator Maryse Lafontaine. “The mothers learn about how to breastfeed and how to properly maintain good nutrition, as well as having an opportunity for some networking time and socializing with other parents. Dads are welcome, too.�

It was the second year in a row that saw Nourri-Source mark World Breastfeeding Week with a celebration at the CLSC.

Breastfeeding is the best, and should be the primary, source of nutrition for a new baby in its first few months of life, Lafontaine said. Nourri-Source helps expectant and new mothers deal with the harrowing first few months of parenthood.

“We work with them during prenatal classes, helping them get a head start on their education before they give birth, and after the baby is born, we pair them up with an experienced mom and make sure they’re comfortable with everything and offer support. We have a couple of CLSC nurses who work as lactation consultants with us. If (the new mothers) want to talk to somebody, they can,� she said.

Pointe Claire resident Christine Nichol, cuddling five-month-old Robbie, said being a first-time parent is a bit of a shock.

“It’s an experience,� she said. “I found about Nourri-Source’s clinics at the Lakeshore General Hospital from a CLSC nurse who encouraged us to come. I was promised adult conversation. You miss the social aspect of life a bit more when you become a new parent. The hardest part of it is definitely the isolation. No matter how well things are going, it's always nice to know there are other mothers in the same boat.�

Breastfeeding is so good for the baby, that it’s recommended new mothers breastfeed until the child turns two years old.

“It’s the gold standard for nutrition. We say ‘Breast is best,’� said CLSC nurse Irena Dworzak. “It’s a living food; it builds a better brain and it’s good for a mom’s odds of beating breast cancer.�

The ‘formula revolution’ of the 1960s and 1970s came about because “the formula companies had very good salespeople,� who told nervous mothers formula would help their kids get a better start in nutritional life. Poppycock, Dworzak said.

“It’s the best food for the baby. A lot of moms stop too early. The World Health Organization recommends kids get breastfed for six months exclusively, but we don’t see that too often. The Canada Parental Leave program, that lets parents take a year off work to look after their babies. Before, we’d get a frantic call from a mom whose baby was three or four months old saying ‘How do I get my baby weaned off the breast,’ and we see that less these days,� Dworzak said.

For more information on Nourri-Source, call the CLSC Lac St. Louis at 514-697-4110.