Forrest General Hospital’s Women & Children’s Services  Promotes Breastfeeding During National Breastfeeding Awareness Month

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – (August 01, 2024) August is designated as National Breastfeeding Awareness Month shining a light on why protecting, promoting, and supporting lactation is so important for the human life cycle.

Because of the incredible benefits for both infants and mothers, breastfeeding is encouraged for a minimum of 12 months after birth. As the first Baby-Friendly hospital in Mississippi, Forrest General’s Women & Children’s Services supports mothers throughout the entire breastfeeding process. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Forrest General serves as one of 11 Milk Depots across the state that accepts donations which go to the Mothers’ Milk Bank of Mississippi.

Forrest General’s Women & Children’s Services offers the following resources for breastfeeding mothers:

• Free Online Breastfeeding Classes
• Lactation Consultants
• Milk Depot

Additional resources include:

• FGH Lactation Office – 601-288-4554
• FGH Family Birthplace – 601-288-4500
• WIC Breastfeeding Helpline – 888-278-6455
• National Breastfeeding Helpline – 1-800-994-9662 (English and Spanish) 

Websites:

• Breastfeeding Information – www.kellymom.com 
• Breastfeeding Information – www.breastfeeding.com  
• Breastfeeding Videos – www.Globalhealthmedia.org/videos/breastfeeding  
• Dr. Thomas Hale (Medications) – www.infantrisk.com  
• Gulf Coast Breastfeeding Center – www.gulfcoastbreastfeedingcenter.com  
• La Leche League of Hattiesburg – Facebook page
• La Leche League USA – www.lllusa.org  
• LactMed – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK501922/  
• Milk Supply – www.lowmilksupply.org  
• Mississippi Lactation Services – www.mslactation.com  
• Mississippi Milk Bank – www.msmilkbank.org  
• WIC Baby Café – www.babycafeusa.org

To learn more about breastfeeding and breastfeeding classes, visit www.forrestgeneral.org/breastfeeding.