Here’s What You Need to Know About Breastfeeding in NYC
August is National Breastfeeding Month, so here are some fast facts you should know about breastfeeding in New York City!
- The world is your lactation room.
New York State was the first state to legally protect a parent’s right to breastfeed in public. According to the New York Civil Liberties Union, you have the right to breastfeed your baby in any public or private place where you have a right to be. The bodega, the laundromat, the subway — the possibilities are endless.
But if you prefer a private space, you can find a handy list of lactation-friendly rooms all over the city at Time Out. (We hear our neighbor Housing Works is a popular spot.)
2. Breastfeeding can be used as birth control.
When you’re exclusively breastfeeding, your body stops ovulating, meaning you can’t get pregnant. This method of birth control is also called “lactational amenorrhea,” or LAM. It’s actually as effective as hormonal birth control! But it’s important to know that LAM only works if you are only feeding your baby breast milk (meaning you nurse at least every 4 hours during the day and every 6 hours at night), and it only works for up to 6 months after you’ve given birth.
However, you can still use hormonal birth control while breastfeeding. But for 6 weeks after you give birth, make sure to avoid birth control with estrogen, including the pill, the patch and the ring, as it can reduce the amount and quality of your breast milk.
3. You can still breastfeed your baby if you have HIV.
Breastfeeding and antiretroviral drugs (ARV) can significantly increase the chances of your baby surviving while remaining HIV free, and you get the same benefits as all other parents who breastfeed.
4. Breastfeeding is good for your baby.
It’s quick, it’s easy and it’s free: exclusively breastfeeding your baby for the first six months. That’s what multiple health organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization recommend. Breast milk is chock full of vitamins and nutrients, and breastfed babies are less likely to get infections and to develop SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome), asthma, diabetes and other chronic conditions.
5. And it’s good for you too!
According to the NYC Health Department, breastfeeding lowers your risk of diabetes, ovarian cancer and some forms of breast cancer. It also helps your body recover from pregnancy by shrinking your uterus and reducing bleeding. Plus, it helps you and your baby bond. Everyone wins!
