Advocacy and Breastfeeding Support Organizations
Mississippi (Local and Regional)
Maternal and Infant Health Mapping Tool Now Available
The Maternal and Child Health Bureau designed the new maternal and infant health mapping tool to help federal, state, and local decision-makers and others visualize maternal and infant health factors to help them understand the needs and target resources. Create and customize county-level maps. For more information: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USHHSHRSA/bulletins/3282c5f
Maternal Child Health-Leadership, Education, Advocacy, and Research Network
Mississippi Children’s Defense Fund
The Children’s Defense Fund-Southern Regional Office (CDF-SRO) opened in Jackson, Mississippi in January 1995 to improve policies and programs for children …
https://www.childrensdefense.org
Women’s Foundation of Mississippi (WFM)
The Women’s Foundation of Mississippi is dedicated to improving the lives of women and girls by promoting social change and economic self-sufficiency …
https://www.womensfoundationms.org
Mississippi Breastfeeding Coalition
Its mission is to establish breastfeeding as the cultural norm in Mississippi by working collaboratively to promote and support breastfeeding with families, health providers, and communities.
Sisters In Birth, Inc. (SOB)
Sisters in Birth is a women’s health clinic that provides comprehensive midwifery and holistic care.
Gulf Coast Breastfeeding Center, LLC
Lactation consultants who serve the greater Gulf Coast Region of Mississippi.
https://www.gulfcoastbreastfeedingcenter.com/
National
US Breastfeeding Committee
Description: The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) is a national coalition of 100+ organizational members representing nonprofits (national, state, local, and community), breastfeeding coalitions, and federal agencies working to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding and human milk feeding.
Website Link: https://www.usbreastfeeding.org/
Office of Women’s Health National Women’s Health and Breastfeeding Hotline
Description: A bilingual call center staffed by health education specialists who can answer your questions about women’s health and trouble with breastfeeding.
Website Link: https://www.womenshealth.gov/about-us/what-we-do/programs-and-activities/helpline
Contact Information and Hours of Operation: Call us anytime between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-994-9662 to talk with a health information specialist in English or Spanish.
US Department of Agriculture WIC Breastfeeding Support – Learn Together. Grow Together. Website
Description: This is a social media campaign that is sponsored by the US Department of Agriculture since 2018. The campaign’s website provides resources, videos, and action steps that support the mother and members of her network throughout each stage of the breastfeeding journey. Resources are also available for community organizations and other interests involved in health education, policy, and advocacy in support of breastfeeding.
Website Link: https://wicbreastfeeding.fns.usda.gov/
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE)
Description: Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE), Inc. seeks to enhance, encourage, support, promote, and protect breastfeeding throughout the USA, by working to reduce the breastfeeding disparities among African American women, and to strengthen the health of their babies and families through, mentoring, training, breastfeeding support groups, social support, outreach, education, legislation, health policies, and social marketing.
Website Link: https://breastfeedingrose.org/
La Leche League
Description: La Leche League USA (LLL) helps parents, families, and communities to breastfeed, chestfeed, and human milk feed their babies through parent-to-parent support. LLL USA encourages, informs, educates, supports, and promotes the use of human milk and the intimate relationship and development that comes from nursing a child for as long as mutually desired.
The webpage has a comprehensive breastfeeding information page; the organization can link you to an LLL leader who can provide support, encouragement, and evidence-based information. The website content is available in Spanish and English.
Website Link: https://lllusa.org/bfinfo/
The Lactation Network
Description: The Lactation Network (TLN) provides personalized, expert lactation care and support to families that all families deserve. Their services include consultation using various platforms, connecting mothers to services, pump resources, education, and advocating on behalf of the mother, child, and family. TLN staff are board-certified and currently work in 50 US states.
Website Link (us): https://lactationnetwork.com/about-us/
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
Description: A worldwide organization that is made up of medical doctors who educate and empower health professionals to support and manage breastfeeding, lactation, and human milk feeding.
Website Link: https://www.bfmed.org/about
National or Regional Organizations that Support Medicaid for Postpartum Care
National Health Law Program’s Doula Medicaid Project
Description: The National Health Law Program’s Doula Medicaid Project seeks to improve health outcomes for Medicaid enrollees by ensuring that all pregnant and postpartum people enrolled in Medicaid who want access to a doula will have one. Members are lawyers, researchers, and policy advocates, not doulas. They work in partnership with and with the guidance of community doula groups, doula collectives, and individual doulas, especially Black doulas and Black-led doula groups, as well as doulas and doula groups serving low-income clients.
Website Link: https://healthlaw.org/doulamedicaidproject/
National Agency for State Health Policy
Description: Their interactive map and chart summarize proposed and approved legislation since 2018, Medicaid waivers, financial estimates, and other initiatives designed to extend coverage during the postpartum period.
Website Link: https://www.nashp.org/view-each-states-efforts-to-extend-medicaid-postpartum-coverage/
Events
Step Up for Breastfeeding Educate and Support – World Breastfeeding Week 2022 (August 1-7)
Description: World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) is a global network of individuals and organizations dedicated to the protection, promotion, and support of breastfeeding worldwide. Annually, WABA coordinates and organizes the World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) WABA coordinates the global World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) campaign that aims to inform, anchor, engage and galvanize action on breastfeeding and related issues.
Since 2016, we have aligned our WBW campaign to United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
For more information visit: https://waba.org.my/wbw/
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere’ The Queen Circle: November 12, 2022
Description: A place for open conversations about infant feeding experiences among grandparents of color. Partners are welcome.
For more information and registration visit: https://breastfeedingrose.org/
California WIC Association – Statewide Events/Activities to Promote Breastfeeding
Description: Every year, local WIC agencies in California celebrate World Breastfeeding Week, National Breastfeeding Month, Black Breastfeeding Week, and more, with energy, creativity, partnerships, and fun! Go to their webpage to access the hyperlinks to the events and activities. Open the links to find event/activity descriptions and tips, so that you can get ideas for your own celebrations!
For more information visit: https://www.calwic.org/what-we-do/breastfeeding-advocacy/breastfeeding-advocacy-resources/
Education and Training Opportunities
Mississippi
Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere’ s Breastfriend Training: October 15 @ 10:00 am – 3:00 pm
Applicant Criteria:
- Has breastfed for at least 6 months within the past 5 years
- Has a positive breastfeeding experience
- Has a vested interest in providing breastfeeding peer support
- Must be willing to participate in the BreastFriend Program for Full 8 weeks
- Must commit to attending training dates
Application Process:
- Complete Application,
- Application is reviewed
- Phone Interview will take place 2 weeks prior to the scheduled training
- Invitation to training
For more information visit: http://breastfeedingrose.org/event/breastfriend-training-october-15
National
Join the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and Dr. Aunchalee Palmquist on Wednesday, October 12, from 2-3 p.m. ET for a webinar titled “Racism and the Colonial Roots of Gendered Language in Public Health and Biomedicine.”
Link for Registration: https://web.usbreastfeeding.org/events/Racism-and-the-Colonial-Roots-of-Gendered-Language-in-Public-Health-and-Biomedicine-4012022/details
USBC’s Contact Information:
Mail: United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
1629 K. Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
Phone: 773/359-1549
Fax: 773/313-3498
Email: office@usbreastfeeding.org
Select Resources for Transgender and Non-Binary Parents
La Leche League International
Description: La Leche League International provides a webpage dedicated to transgender and non-binary parents. This webpage addresses a number of topics on breastfeeding, LLLs provide counseling and support services and links individuals to resources and research tailored to the needs of transgender and non-binary women.
Link to Webpage: https://www.llli.org/breastfeeding-info/transgender-non-binary-parents/
Family Equality
Description: Pregnancy is an emotional experience, and this website provides tailored considerations and steps that will prepare binary persons for these emotional experiences.
Website Link: https://www.familyequality.org/resources/preparing-for-pregnancy-as-a-non-binary-person/
Select Books, Blogs, Etc.
La Leche League International (2010). The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding: Completely Revised and Updated 8th Edition, Random House Publishers, New York:NY.
Alberta Health Services (2019). Supporting a transgender parent on breastfeeding: a case study on cultural safety. https://albertahealthservices.ca/assets/info/hp/hcf/if-hp-hcf-bf-transgender-parent-printable.pdf
Boober. Resources like blogs, videos, interviews, and articles for expecting and new parents. https://getboober.com/blog/
Lactation Link. A blog created by a lactation consultant who is committed to developing moms/parents who are confident with breastfeeding. https://lactationlink.com/blog-2/.
Schmidt, S. (2019, August 16). A mother, but not a woman. The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2019/08/16/non-binary-pregnant-navigating-most-gendered-role-all-motherhood