Q1: Ms. Tibbs, its National Breastfeeding Month. Why is breastfeeding a public health priority?

A1: Breastfeeding is a critical public health issue, as it is the optimal source of infant nutrition, and has long-term health benefits for mom and baby.  Breastfeeding protects babies from infections and decreases the risk of leukemia, sudden infant death syndrome and obesity.  For mothers it reduces their risk of breast and ovarian cancer, diabetes and heart attacks.

Q2: Breastfeeding has many benefits, so why are there still disparities among black women and women living in poverty?

A2: Disparities persist, as with many health outcomes, due to several barriers such as low availability and access to breastfeeding support, lack of family and community support, unaccommodating workplace and childcare environments, and aggressive marketing of infant formula.

Among infants born in 2014, black infants had the lowest breastfeeding rates of all reported race/ethnicity groups. Only 68% of black infants were ever breastfed as compared to 85.7% of white infants. Initiation rates for infants of mothers living in poverty was 73.2% among infants born in 2014.

Structural barriers disproportionately impact women of color and women living in poverty. For instance, birthing facilities using breastfeeding-friendly practices are less likely to be located in communities with high percentages of people of color or residents living in poverty.

In addition, the lack of federal legislation regarding paid family medical leave to support working families can impact decisions on returning to work.  One-in-four women return to work within two weeks of delivery, and low-wage earners return to work sooner than higher wage earners. This limits the ability of women to establish breastfeeding prior to returning to work. And, although there are mandates for workplaces to support breastfeeding women, those working in the service industry are less likely to have adequate accommodations to support the pumping and storing of human milk.

Q3: Why has it been so important to increase breastfeeding rates among black infants?

A3: Although there have been great strides in breastfeeding, this persistent disparity in breastfeeding rates suggests that there are other factors that impact breastfeeding in the black community. The goal of our collective efforts should be to improve maternity care practices for black women; champion workplace and paid family medical leave policies; provide skilled and culturally-attuned breastfeeding support in communities; and engage the broader community to promote a culture of breastfeeding.

Q4: What is the local health department’s role in supporting breastfeeding?

A4: Local health departments can play a vital role in supporting breastfeeding and ensuring access to breastfeeding support.  Local health departments and their partners are uniquely positioned to address breastfeeding by supporting policy, systems, and environmental changes that enable women to breastfeed at optimal rates. These include encouraging breastfeeding-friendly workplace and hospital practices and expanding community-level breastfeeding support.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, recognized the critical role local health departments have in supporting breastfeeding in under-served communities. This effort, led by the NACCHO, supported 72 projects in 32 states. Collectively, they provided over 90,000 one-to-one encounters and over 3,000 breastfeeding support groups. Grantees also instituted innovative practices to address structural barriers to breastfeeding by building workforce capacity, partnering with worksites and collaborating with hospitals and healthcare providers to ensure continuity of care for breastfeeding mothers. These efforts were positive steps towards increasing breastfeeding among black women and women living in poverty.

For all of you Disney aficionados, I am sure you know that Fantasyland will be opening in Magic Kingdom on December 6. It is going to be the biggest expansion of any of the Disney theme parks in history.

I have been invited to cover the opening as press and I would be lying if I didn’t say how extremely excited I am to be at Disney World to see the opening of the widely-anticipated opening of Fantasyland.

I will be there from December 5 – 7. That means I get to, for the very first time, see Disney World in all of its holiday glory. I am excited beyond belief. There really is something magical about Disney World. All of your cares subside for a few minutes. It’s lovely!

I hope you follow along as I cover as much as I can live from Disney World in early December.

Want to learn more about the new Fantasyland expansion? Visit DisneyWorld.com and also keep up with updates on the Disney Parks blog for daily information about Disney and its parks.

As moms, we know there is always that stage where you don’t want to put shoes on your babies so you simply keep their feet warm with socks when it’s cold or let them go barefoot when it’s hot outside. Toe Blooms are an adorable alternative to soft shoes or bland white socks with a small yellow bow. They wrap around your baby girl’s feet and add an adorable charm to any outfit.

Now that the holidays are upon us, there is really no cuter way to dress up those frilly velvet dresses. ToeBlooms let you dress your little girl up with a fashionable flare. And, they are always perfect gifts for new moms.

And, moms with boys, not to worry! They have ToeBuds for the little guys as well.

Plus, this is a mom-owned business and who doesn’t want to help fellow moms get a leg up in the business world?

ToeBlooms retail for around $22 – $24.

As an artist and mother, Gloria Smith could not find toys and coloring books with images that looked like her daughter. So she created her own coloring book called “Miss Zee.” Gloria Smith uploaded free printables to the Net with overwhelming response. People wanted to buy the coloring book and now all she needs is the money to print them.

I think it’s a worthwhile cause.

Here is a sample page you can download. Or, you can donate to get Miss Zee into the hands of little girls around the country. Check out Smith’s Kickstarter page to make a donation.

Visit Miss Zee at www.misszee.net and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/misszeedoll.

If you are traveling to Los Angeles from now through the end of the year you can take advantage of their TRAVEL LITE package. I love W Hotels! Last year I visited the W Hotel in midtown Atlanta as well as the W in Times Square and love them! If you have never stayed at a W hotel you won’t be disapppointed!

Starting at $699, the TRAVEL LITE  package includes:

• A luxurious stay in a Mega Suite (ooh, nice!)
• Quinny Modd Stroller for use during your stay (fantastic when you don’t want to lug a stroller with you when you travel)
• Welcome Basket with a Skip Hop Bib, Baby Einstein Rainstick Pal, and $25 gift card to Traveling Tikes (what a nice touch and will keep the littel ones occupied)
• Choice of 4 hours of babysitting service, or full day poolside cabana rental (I’d go with the cabana rental. You can never go wrong there!)
• $100 Food and Beverage Credit at NINETHIRTY and The Backyard Restaurants (food = YES!)
• Complimentary valet and WiFi (I love this because Wifi and valet services can add up!)

This travel package from the W Los Angeles is perfect for out-of-towners as well as those who live in LA or nearby.

Learn more at www.wlosangeles.com/travellite

Earth Mama Baby Angel, a brand I trust and used when my girls were babies, has a free herb eBook on their site. Make sure to check it out. It has great information in it.
On the Net: www.earthmamaangelbaby.com/herbs-for-breastfeeding-ebook

Just because snow days are nearly always synonymous with play days you can always get your kids prepped for school again by keeping learning fresh, even after a day of playing in the snow.

Here are a few tips courtesy of Sylvan.com to beat the winter blues.

1. Read. Yes, of course. Everyone has his or her favorite book, so read them to each other. It’s fun for the older kids to read their favorite childhood books to their younger siblings. Act out your favorite scenes for the enjoyment of everyone.

2. Tell stories. This is a great time to trot out the old family photo albums and tell stories of your happy memories. Grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins, favorite friends and neighbors. Connect the kids to your past — and theirs.

3. Keep a snow journal. As a family, write a few sentences every day about the snow. What time did it start to fall? What did it look like on the trees? How did it affect the traffic on your street? Did you feed the birds? Does your dog like the snow? The cat? Write about sledding, snowman building, snowball battles, snow forts. Write how you felt when you learned there’d be no school. What friends will you miss for the days you’re away from the classroom?

4. Do some weather science. Measure the snow as it’s falling. Keep a log of the temperatures hourly. How long does it take for the snow to melt on the south side of the house? On the north side? How do those icicles form?

5. Play games as a family and, for some quiet time, as individuals. Some mind-engaging activities include board games, crossword puzzles, Sudoku, jigsaw puzzles, coloring, finger painting, water colors, scrapbooking.

6. Keep up the lessons. Check those spelling words — if there aren’t any from school, assign your own. Practice math facts. Read the next chapter in the social studies book.

7. Organize. Take this found-time to organize notebooks, planners, back packs, and study areas at home. Make sure everyone’s up-to-date on assignments that will be due when school starts again.

8. Try to keep up normal routines. Yes, the snow throws everything off, and that’s okay. It’s good to take a break (or have one thrust upon you) from time to time. But try to keep bedtimes, mealtimes, study times, and other important personal routines (medications, for example) as close to normal as possible. When you know schools will reopen again, start to get back into the swing of things right away.

9. Be a role model. Use your homebound time for catching up on some put-off tasks. Enlist the kids’ help in rearranging furniture, organizing closets and donating unused clothing to the homeless shelter. Talk about how warm and cozy you are — not everyone is as lucky.

10. Stay positive. Spring will arrive. Promise.

For resources and additional information, visit http://www.SylvanLearning.com or call 1-800-31-SUCCESS.

On Thursday morning we docked at Castaway Cay, Disney’s own private island in the Bahamas. Here’s the view we saw when we woke up and stepped out on our verandah.

We couldn’t go ashore until 9:00 Thursday morning, so we ordered breakfast and had a wonderful cup of coffee.

Once on Castaway Cay, it really was paradise. Although I didn’t know the exact temperature, it had to be at least 80 degrees.

There were so many fun activities to partake in on Castaway Cay from bike riding and building sand castles to playing water games or simply relaxing.

They also fed us lunch on the island and because we’re a vegan family, our head server ordered a vegan lunch for us. We had Caribbean sautéed vegetables and tofu — delicious!

One of the great things about traveling on a press junket during the Christening of the Disney Dream is that there weren’t a lot of people on the island, but I can imagine how crowded it can become when the Dream will be at full capacity. The maiden voyage is next week.

One of the greatest things about going on the Disney Dream cruise was being with my entire family. We had a wonderful time!

Check out my blog tomorrow to discover why my husband and I felt extremely comfortable leaving our daughters at the Oceaneer’s Club and going to have fun of our own.

*Note: I want to thank my husband for taking photos during the trip. He knows me too well. If left up to me, we’d come back with 10 photos, one with my thumb in it.

Last week I was on board the Disney Dream as a part of the media to cover Disney’s newest cruise ship. I have so much to share about the ship that I can easily post something new every day this week and more than likely I will.

I took my entire family along with me on the Disney Dream because I really wanted to see how the cruise accommodates families. I cannot express to you the level of friendliness, attention to detail, and unparalleled service we experienced from the moment we embarked to the moment we debarked. Suffice it to say, the Disney Dream operated like a very well-oiled machine.

Right after we walked across the gangway, members of the Disney Dream crew waited for each guest, asked our names, announced us with a microphone and clapped us on board. Then a member of the crew took us aside and personally told us how to find our rooms and something to eat. I loved all of that!

Once on board we walked into their gorgeous Art Deco-inspired grand lobby located on Deck 3. I couldn’t believe how shiny and buffed the marble floors were.

The lobby also boasts commissioned art, a gorgeous chandelier and Admiral Donald Duck.

Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah

Disney housed my husband, two daughters and me in their Deluxe Stateroom with Verandah. At 246 square feet including the verandah we had plenty of space to feel comfortable and well-accommodated. The Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom With Verandah easily and comfortably sleeps 3 or 4 people. With a queen bed, single sleeper sofa and upper berth pull-down bed, the room was perfect for our family.

The Disney Dream comfortably sleeps four.

Check out the details in the decor.

The Bathroom in Deluxe Oceanview Stateroom

One of the details I loved best in our stateroom was the split bathroom. One bathroom held a toilet, vanity, and sink.

The other bathroom housed a vanity, sink, and full tub and shower.

Come back tomorrow when I talk about the great day we had at Castaway Cay, Disney’s island in the Bahamas.

Photo Credits: Photo of Disney Dream Copyright: The Walt Disney World Company

*Note: I want to thank my husband for taking photos during the trip. He knows me too well. If left up to me, we’d come back with 10 photos, one with my thumb in it.