AVMC Invites Community to Free Documentary on Breastfeeding

(LANCASTER, Calif. – August 18, 2015) — To celebrate National Breast Feeding Month during August, Antelope Valley Medical Center (AVMC) will host two free screenings of “The Milky Way,” a documentary about breastfeeding in the United States.

America has one of the lowest breastfeeding rates in the world and other countries are more advanced in their birth and breastfeeding policies than the United States. Additionally, premature babies’ health improves much quicker when they spend more time on their mother’s chest rather than in an incubator.

“In April we received certification as a Baby-Friendly facility which means that AVMC has met the gold standard in maternity care operations,” notes Andrea Randenberg, AVMC Executive Director of Women, Infant, and Pediatric Services. “Our hope in offering these important screenings to the community is to improve breastfeeding rates in the Antelope Valley because conflicting advice abounds. We want to empower mothers to feel more confident about breastfeeding and thereby improve the health of their newborns and our community.”

Members of the community and AVMC staff are invited to attend one of the screenings, which will take place on Friday, August 21, at 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. They will be held at the AVMC Community Resource Center in the auditorium located at 44151 15th Street West and Avenue J-5 in Lancaster.

About Antelope Valley Medical Center

Celebrating 60 years of caring for the community, Antelope Valley Medical Center is located in the city of Lancaster in northern Los Angeles County. The 420-bed district hospital is a Level II trauma center and provides a full array of medical/surgical services, pediatric treatment, NICU, mental health, cancer care and more. More information is available at www.AVMC.org or by calling 661-949-5000.