National Breastfeeding Support
HealthConnect One advocates for breastfeeding support in a variety of community settings, by advocating with hospital staff for Baby-Friendly environments, by training breastfeeding peer counselors, by advocating with fathers to support their babies' breastfeeding moms, and by advocating for women who want to breastfeed but face obstacles at work, at home, or in their communities.
Recent statements by First Lady Michelle Obama and the US Surgeon General serve to bolster this work, and the work of all breastfeeding advocates nationwide.
“And because it’s important to prevent obesity early, we’re also working to promote breastfeeding, especially in the black community -- (applause) -- where 40 percent of our babies never get breast-fed at all, even in the first weeks of life, and we know that babies that are breast-fed are less likely to be obese as children.”
- September 16, 2010 Remarks by Michelle Obama to the Congressional Black Caucus Conference, as provided by the White House
The Surgeon General
Surgeon General Dr. Regina M. Benjamin has just released a Statement on World Breastfeeding Week, August 1-7, 2011. "The Affordable Care Act," she says in her Statement, "has made significant progress to support breastfeeding, which include historic new insurance guidelines that will ensure millions of women receive preventive health services without a co-pay or deductible. These new guidelines, developed by the independent Institute of Medicine, require insurance companies to cover certain women’s preventive services, including breastfeeding support, supplies, and counseling."
She references the Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding, which she released on January 20, 2011. Here, she specifically called on communities to "...expand and improve programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling." When asked how she chose breastfeeding as her focus for this Call to Action, the Surgeon General responded, "Prevention is the foundation of the work of the Public Health Service ... There is no better example than breastfeeding."
HealthConnect One is especially delighted that she refers to community-based doulas in her implementation strategy (p. 41):
Action 4: Use Community-based organizations to promote and support breastfeeding
Integrate education and support for breastfeeding into public health programs that serve new families. A variety of people and programs are now operating in communities to meet the needs of new families, including home visitors, community-based doulas (women who help mothers during and after childbirth), advocates for prevention of domestic violence, public health nurses, and early childhood and Healthy Start programs. Assistance with breastfeeding is a natural extension of the other functions these programs provide and contributes to the common goals of improving the health and well-being of families.
During our National Conference in March 2011, we heard from HRSA staff on the implementation strategies of the Surgeon General's Call to Action, including opportunities to highlight effective community-based doula and breastfeeding peer counselor programs.
See Also:
Latest News (Peaceful Revolution: Motherhood and the $13 Billion Guilt)
Breastfeeding Programs & Training
