Lactation/Breastfeeding peer counselors support happy, healthy babies & families
HealthConnect One trains Lactation/Breastfeeding Peer Counselors and partners with clinics, health centers, community organizations and national agencies to develop programs to support and train Lactation/Breastfeeding peer counselors.
These programs lead to rapid and dramatic increases in breastfeeding rates and retention. Our 2014 peer-reviewed research for The Perinatal Revolution showed Black and Latina mothers breastfed at dramatically higher rates than a comparison group. We’re proud that the approach to breastfeeding in Women Infants and Children, WIC, clinics grew in part out of HealthConnect One’s decades-ago engagement as content consultants for the WIC breastfeeding peer counselor program.
Who are community-based lactation/breastfeeding peer counselors?
A Lactation/Breastfeeding Peer Counselor is a woman who had a successful breastfeeding/lactation experience and is interested in supporting other women in her community to nurse their babies. She offers culturally appropriate support and information, identifies breastfeeding/lactation challenges, and provides strategies to help women achieve their infant feeding goals.
A Breastfeeding Peer Counselor’s goals are to:
- Offer culturally appropriate support and information
- Identify and address barriers in the local community
- Enhance communication and counseling skills
- Provide strategies to manage breastfeeding challenges
- Help women achieve their breastfeeding goals
Lactation/Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Programs are incorporated into existing community-based maternal and child health initiatives so that both staff and constituents from underserved communities learn strategies to encourage new mothers to breastfeed.
Recent posts about breastfeeding
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We are currently facing an infant formula crisis. There is a severe shortage of formula, and children are going hungry. ALL babies deserve to […] - Feature: Supporting Black Breastfeeding In Wichita
For many Black birthing families across the country, breastfeeding intention and initiation continue to pose a challenge. From the presence of infant formula in […]
