Cleveland County Commissioners approve support services for breastfeeding

NORMAN — Cleveland County commissioners Monday approved breastfeeding support services that will be paid for by a federal program.

Commissioners were considering the first of two Cleveland County Health Department contracts for women to provide breastfeeding support services when Commissioner Rusty Sullivan questioned Health Department Administrator Shari Kinney.

"I’ve just got to ask, I don’t know how to put this, but what’s so difficult about breastfeeding?”

Kinney said the federal program Women, Infants and Children has asked her department to provide the support service to help county mothers in the program understand the benefits of breastfeeding their babies, and to help with any questions, difficulties or frustrations they may encounter.

Sullivan said breastfeeding is one of the most natural things and that when a baby is hungry, he or she will eat.

Kinney agreed but said mothers can and do face problems with breastfeeding and that helping them will benefit the baby and save tax money, as formula is more expensive.

The federal Women, Infants and Children program will reimburse the county for the two employee contracts, each one lasting May 1 through June 30 and not to exceed $3,000. Assured that federal money would pay for the service, the commissioners unanimously approved the contracts.