SHAREing & CAREing Program Manager Merryl Reichbach developed and presented Gentle Yoga at the Big Latch On on August 2, 2019. This is a global event that takes place at registered locations where people come together to breastfeed and offer peer to peer support. Friends, family and community join this celebration to promote breastfeeding. Our Gentle Yoga program provided an opportunity for mothers, babies and friends to relax together, learn stretches and breathing techniques for self-care.

NYC Health + Hospitals/Elmhurst Hospital WIC Program • Frank D. O’Connor Park

At SHAREing & CAREing we know that breast health and self-care is a lifelong concern and looks different at different stages of life. The mother who is supported when she is engaged in the intense caregiving role as a breastfeeding mom, is more likely to engage in the self-care required for prioritizing regular ob-gyn appointments and in mammography screenings when she is appropriate for them. SHAREing & CAREing programs promote breast health and self-care across the lifespan.

Responses to the program was extremely positive. Jomarie Cruz, BSN, C-EFM, IBCLC Staff Nurse Lactation, had this to say: 

Thank you so much for providing a beautiful yoga experience for the patients that participated in the Big Latch On today at the Frank O’Connor playground at 10:30am.

I really appreciated how you connected the patient breastfeeding experience with some of the stretches and your holistic approach… I also especially liked how you encouraged the participants to take one or two of the stretches or the breathing exercises to continue to practice self-care.  I really believe that having you at the event helped support our patients by giving them an opportunity to relax, destress and teaching them those skills when they may need them in their daily living.

Response was so positive, SHAREing & CAREing will be providing a 6 week Gentle Yoga and Self-Care program for their weekly Maime Café Breastfeeding Support Group in the near future.