NORWICH – The Chenango County Department of Health (CCDOH) has recently taken steps to ensure that mothers can more effectively care for their infant children. The department specifically focused nursing mothers and babies, offering new breastfeeding support initiatives to all nursing mothers in Chenango County.

Beginning in January, the CCDOH officially opened the area's first “The Baby Nook Lactation Room and Weigh Station,” sponsored by the nursing division of CCDOH.

This “lactation lounge” offers families a resource to help mothers with their breastfeeding goals. It is a place to pump and store breast milk, or receive lactation counseling support from a Certified Lactation Counselor. The room is even outfitted with an infant scale so mothers can accurately track their infants growth, all while having the opportunity to meet and network with other nursing mothers, and learn more about infant feeding.

“The Baby Nook offers a great resource for both mothers and their infants,” said Mary Brady, LPN, CLC. “The goal is to offer comfort and assistance without pressure.” Brady disclosed that her own struggle with breastfeeding as a first-time mother fueled a desire to help others, paving the way for her to further her education by becoming a Lactation Counselor. “Had a facility like the Baby Nook been available to me, I might have had better success at breastfeeding; and that’s why believe in the program’s mission,” said Brady.