Breastfeeding Awareness Month

We know that taking care today leads to an even healthier tomorrow. That’s why exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first 6 months of your baby’s life.

Evidenced-based practices like skin-to-skin and rooming-in help facilitate breastfeeding initiation after birth and help women that choose to breastfeed, continue to do so after they go home with their bundle of joy.

Breast milk provides ideal nutrition for babies with its mix of vitamins, protein and fat. It also contains antibodies that help protect your baby from viruses and bacteria. Breastfeeding not only has health benefits for your baby, but yourself as well.

Babies that are breastfed
have lower risk of:

Asthma

Obesity

Type 1 diabetes

Ear infections

Severe lower respiratory
disease

Gastrointestinal infections

SIDS

Breastfeeding can help
reduce the risk of:

Asthma

Type 2 diabetes

Ovarian cancer

High blood pressure

Breast cancer

Women should be sure to discuss their plans for breastfeeding with their Blue Primary Care Network Provider to ensure they receive the appropriate guidance and resources as part of their prenatal and postpartum plan of care.

Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi provides a double electric or manual breast pump for eligible covered Members as part of their benefit plan. Learn more about this benefit.

Women’s Health

At Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi our focus on women’s health includes providing support before, during and after pregnancy, to give Mississippi families the best start to life.

Women have distinct health needs and that’s why it’s so important for women to know their current health numbers and risk for disease prior to becoming pregnant. According to the BlueCross BlueShield Association, preexisting conditions like depression, hypertension and diabetes may lead to higher risks of pregnancy and childbirth complications.

Steps to getting healthy before pregnancy include:

• Regular wellness visits with your Blue Primary Care Network Provider

• Management of metabolic diseases

• Proper nutrition

• Regular exercise

The Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Maternity Quality Model, implementation of Maternal Safety Bundles and support for Network Hospitals in obtaining the Baby-Friendly designation are all working together to make childbirth safer for Mississippi women.

Ownership of your health today leads to healthy lifestyle changes, healthy mothers, healthy pregnancies and ultimately healthy babies.