Mercy’s Family Life Center for Maternity to Participate in International Breastfeeding Event

SPRINGFIELD — In honor of World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7, Mercy Medical Center will host a “Global Big Latch On” event at the Family Life Center for Maternity. These events take place at registered locations around the world, where women gather together to breastfeed and offer peer support to each other. Their friends, family, and community join this celebration to promote and support breastfeeding. The breastfeeding event at Mercy’s Family Life Center for Maternity is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 2 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Mercy’s Family Life Center for Maternity also offers lactation services to patients and colleagues daily. In addition to providing care to inpatients, outpatient services are available by appointment. Additional services include a hospital-grade pump-rental service, a private pumping room on the fourth floor of Mercy Medical Center for all lactating staff, and a lactation room in the Family Life Center lobby that is open to the public and Mercy colleagues.

As a member hospital of Trinity Health Of New England, Mercy’s Family Life Center is a beneficiary of the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program as part of a $2.1 million grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation to Saint Francis Hospital. This program, run in partnership with the Hispanic Health Council of Hartford, Conn., collaborates with hospitals, clinics, and social-support programs to provide breastfeeding education and support through trained peer counselors. Support begins prenatally, and can be utilized up to one year post-partum. Visits take place in the office, hospital, and at home.

For more information about these services, contact the Mercy Lactation Department at (413) 748-7262. For more information about the “Global Big Latch On” event, visit biglatchon.org.