Breastfeeding is important for children, parents, families, and communities.
- Human milk is the first traditional food and nourishes children with essential nutrients and other factors tailored to their unique needs
- Feeding at the breast helps keep children’s and parents’ immune systems strong
- It helps build a strong emotional bond/attachment between children and their parents
- Breastfeeding reduces health care costs for families and society
Learn more about why breastfeeding is important: 10 great reasons to breastfeed your baby – Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC).
Northern Health supports the following recommendations:
- Within the first hour after birth, hold babies skin-to-skin and support them to start breastfeeding.
Learn more: Helping your baby get a good start: Skin-to-skin (PDF) – Breastfeeding Matters, Best Start by Health Nexus - For about the first six months of life, give babies only human milk. They do not need other foods or drinks (not even water) unless there is a medical reason
- Give a liquid vitamin D supplement to all babies and children who receive human milk.
Learn more: Vitamin D for breastfed infants and toddlers in Northern BC (PDF) – Northern Health - Introduce solid foods at about six months of age, when babies show that they are ready.
Learn more: Before you feed your baby solid foods (PDF) – Northern Health - Continue to breastfeed children for up to two years and beyond, for as long as families wish
Northern Health recognizes that many things affect families’ infant feeding decisions. To make informed decisions about infant feeding, families should have access to unbiased information about the risks of not breastfeeding. These include the:
- Health impacts for child and parent
- Financial cost for family
- Safety of infant formula
- Difficulty to reverse decision once breastfeeding is stopped
Learn more about the risks of not breastfeeding (PDF) – Breastfeeding Matters, Best Start by Health Nexus
For families feeding with infant formula, please see Nutrition in the first year NH public webpage for more information.
Featured resources
- Breastfeeding – HealthLink BC
- Breastfeeding wellness teachings for mothers, families and communities (PDF) – First Nations Health Authority (FNHA)
- Feeding your baby: Breastfeeding your baby (PDF) – Baby’s Best Chance, Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA)
Featured NH Stories
- Breastfeeding: A cultural approach can make all the difference
- Celebrating National Breastfeeding Week: Our pledge for all families
For more information
- Email us at NHBreastfeeding@northernhealth.ca
- Reach out to Northern Health for help with breastfeeding if you have any questions or concerns
- Contact the First Nations Health Authority (FNHA) Maternal and Child Health Program for breastfeeding supports in local First Nations communities
- Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1 (or 1-604-215-8110) to reach a nurse, dietitian, pharmacist, or exercise professional
- Connect with a La Leche League leader for mother-to-mother/parent-to-parent peer support