Breastfeeding

You Spoke, And We Listened!

A New Baby Cafe To Open in Geneva in August, 2019

The hospital rate of exclusively breastfed infants living in the Geneva (14456) zip code is currently only 47.3%  (New York State Prevention Agenda Dashboard - County Level: Ontario County , 2013-2016). This rate is much lower than the rest of the county (average 63% some areas as high as 80%) (New York State Prevention Agenda Dashboard - County Level: Ontario County , 2013-2016). Currently, Geneva does not have a birthing center. Residents must travel to Newark Hospital or U.R. Thompson Health for assistance with lactation. The Baby Café model which includes free assistance from Clinical Lactation Counselors (CLC’s) could potentially increase the breastfeeding rates within the Geneva zip code.

Upon assessing the lactation rates, the Finger Lakes Breastfeeding Partnership created a sub-committee which consisted of representatives from Child & Family Resources, Healthy Families, Le Leche League and Ontario County Public Health. The subcommittee agreed that Geneva (14456) and surrounding areas would be the participant targets for a Baby Café if supported by a community acceptability survey. Ontario County Public Health created both a written and electronic surveys to assess if the target population would accept and benefit from a Baby Café in the Geneva area. The survey was tested prior to dissemination by current Canandaigua Baby Café attendees.

Both the written and electronic surveys (Survey Monkey) were disseminated to the general public in English and Spanish on February 20, 2019. Electronic surveys were disseminated via social media (Facebook), the Ontario County Public Health website as well as emailed to key stakeholders in the Geneva area (Food Justice Coalition). English and Spanish surveys were completed with assistance from the participants of the SPCC WIC program in Geneva, the case managed clients participating in the Child and Family and Healthy Families programs and the Finger Lakes Medical Associates Geneva office.  The survey results were collected and reviewed by the sub-committee on May 20, 2019 as evidenced by the meeting minute notes. General impressions to note from the survey include that 32% of the respondents are expecting a baby but only 26 % are planning to breastfeed. Of the 60% of respondents that are parents of babies and toddlers, only 21% are exclusively breastfeeding. A total of 53 individuals completed the survey so the subcommittee decided a focus group or additional interviews were not necessary given the sample size of the survey.

The final data was collected, analyzed and disseminated via email by the subcommittee on May 24, 2019. 56.6% of the survey respondents are expecting a baby in 2019 but only 50% of them are planning to breastfeed. 42% of respondents stated that they would like to talk with a free CLC about breastfeeding. 57.6% of the respondents are currently parents of babies or toddlers and only 15.7% are currently breastfeeding. 39% of the respondents stated that they would travel to Geneva to see a free CLC. 68% of respondents reported that they would attend a free place for parents to hangout, receive accurate health information and free breastfeeding help from CLC’s in the Geneva area. Upon assessing the lactation data, Child and Family Resources (who currently houses the Baby Café in Canandaigua) volunteered to operate a second Baby Café in Ontario County, possibly targeting the Geneva community.

The sub-committee is currently working to include the Geneva Baby Café to the existing contract between Child & Family Resources and Baby Café USA. The opening of the Baby Café is being planned for August (World Breastfeeding Month) of 2019. 

A very special "Thank You" to the staff from Child & Family Resources for their unwavering support to breastfeeding women within Ontario County.

Geneva Baby Cafe Survey Data 2019

(Updated 6/7/2019)