Governor Laura Kelly proclaims August “Breastfeeding Awareness Month” in Kansas!   



On August 2, the Governor signed a proclamation for “Breastfeeding Awareness Month”.  The KBC and KDHE held a joint press conference in the State Capitol immediately following the official signing by the governor. Kansas Public Radio covered the ceremonies.

Celebrate National Breastfeeding Month

KBC’s 2019 Breastfeeding Conference Registration is Open!   

You won’t want to miss this this unique opportunity to sharpen your lactation knowledge and learn skills to engage your community to support breastfeeding families. The conference will be held Oct. 24–25 at the Holiday Inn Wichita East I-35, Wichita. The conference will feature “Hot Topics” in lactation on Thursday, Oct. 24th and community engagement topics on Friday, Oct. 25th. Exhibitors will be present for the first time! Conference agenda, registration information and exhibitor information is  here .  

Featured speakers are:

Dr. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, PhD, IBCLC, FAPA  

Marsha Walker, RN, IBCLC

 “Medications in Lactation” webinar

The KBC Hospital Section will host a FREE webinar for physicians, pharmacists and other health care providers to introduce “Medications in Lactation”, an algorithm tool to help providers support breastfeeding when considering medications during lactation. The webinar will be Aug. 27th from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m.  Registration is not required.  Simply join at https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/445066437 or dial in at (571) 317-3122, Access Code: 445-066-437.  

Lauren A. Morton, PharmD



Overview of “Medications in Lactation” algorithm and pharmacological perspective

Sonder Crane, MD, IBCLC, Pediatrician

Healthy newborn and older breastfed baby perspective

Chaitali Mahajan, MD, Neonatologist

Preterm infant perspective

KBC General Membership Meeting

The next General membership meeting will be Friday, August 9th , 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Agenda

11:30  – Welcome & introductions

11:35  – Approval of previous meeting minutes (see button below) and current agenda 

11:40  – Member Section Updates – Section Chairs 

12:00  –   National Breastfeeding Month Celebrations:  

12:15  –  Celebrating new “Communities Supporting Breastfeeding” 

12:20  –   KBC Activity Updates:

12:30  – Sharing - news and requests for help

12:45  – Adjourn  

Next meeting –  October 11th , 2019, 11:30 – 1:00, via GoToMeeting 

Please join from your computer, tablet or smartphone by selecting the "Goto Meeting Link" button below. You can also dial in using your phone : United States: +1 (872) 240-3212; Access Code: 690-080-925  

Take Action!

Help improve workplace support for breastfeeding employees:

The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) announced the launch of the  Supporting Nursing Mothers in the Workplace  online dialogue. You are invited to share your ideas on how DOL can help employers and nursing mothers understand their responsibilities and rights under the “ Break Time for Nursing Mothers ” law. Take a few minutes to help shape and guide the DOL's compliance assistance resources and materials for the Break Time law. Please submit your ideas, comments, and votes online through the “ideascale” website anytime between  August 5 - 16.   Note: you must register on the “ideascale” website to submit comments.  

The KBC Has Been Busy...  

Check out the new documents now ready for you and the families you serve:

NEW:

UPDATED:

Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act

The   Fairness for Breastfeeding Mothers Act  was signed into law on Thursday, July 25. The act requires that certain public buildings that contain a public restroom also provide a lactation room, other than a bathroom, that is hygienic and available for use by a member of the public.  Now  visitors to most of the federal facilities in Kansas will have access to a clean, private lactation space.  List and map of federal facilities in Kansas    

KBC Featured Member

Diana Lady, Health Promoter for the Kansas Statewide Farmworker Health Program .   Read Diana’s story  of how she incorporates breastfeeding support into her work with families in the July issue of the Kansas Community Health Worker newsletter.  

NEW Breastfeeding Education opportunities in Kansas!

The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition is offering  Breastfeeding Basics and  Beyond the Basics  across the state . These 1-day in-person courses were developed in partnership with the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding & Lactation Education (IABLE).  Anyone interested in supporting breastfeeding families is encouraged to attend.  The registration fee includes continuing education credits for lactation consultants, licensed nurses, and dietitians as well as membership in IABLE and the KBC.  Course outlines, registration, dates and locations will be available  here . Interested in hosting courses in 2020? Please contact Brenda Bandy at  [email protected] .

Celebrations

It's official! Johnson County held a ceremony on August 1st to officially proclaim the county as a "Community Supporting Breastfeeding."

KBC Member Section Updates   

Child Care

 

The Child Care Section meets monthly on the second Wednesday of the month, 12-1 pm. Please join us if you have an interest in breastfeeding support in the early childhood setting. Submitted by Kris Nicholson, Chair. For more information, contact Kris at  [email protected]

Local Breastfeeding Coalition

We met last on Thursday July 11th. There were six of us participating which led to interest in finding out about participation in all Section calls versus membership in the Section. It turns out that all Sections have about 20% of their members participating in the calls. 

We were very pleased to have Kara Watts, chair of the KBC Public Health Section, share the Public Health Program Inventory. We then reviewed and discussed the   Toolkit for Local Breastfeeding Coalitions ... and guess what? It is done and up on our KBC website! Yippee! We had a chance to give input on the agenda of the Community Engagement Day of the upcoming KBC conference Oct. 24-25 in Wichita.

Our next meeting in Thursday September 12th. Diana Lady, a Section Member, who works with the Kansas Farmworkers' Program will be telling us about the program. The Local Breastfeeding Coalitions Section meets on the 2nd Thursday of odd # months.  Submitted by Susan Lukwago, Chair.  For more information, contact Susan at  [email protected]

Public Health Section  

The KBC Public Health Section has been busy learning about all of the public health breastfeeding initiatives and programs throughout the state. The Section has created a comprehensive list of these programs, and plans to utilize it as a tool to ensure that relevant parties are represented in our Section, as well as to guide conversations around strategies to enhance program support to families, such as how to ensure that quality materials are offered and improving referral systems. The   Inventory of Kansas Public Health Initiatives document is available for all to view. Please join us for the next meeting on August 8th from 10 to 11 am.

The Public Health Section meets on the second Thursday of even numbered months from 10 to 11 am. Submitted by Kara Watts, Chair.  For more information, contact Kara at  [email protected]

Hospital Section

The Hospital Section meets monthly on the fourth Tuesday from 12 to 1 pm.  Contact Kathy Walker at  [email protected] for more information or to join the Hospital Section.

Look where we've been !      

Look where we're going !      

Look for the KBC will be presenting and/or exhibiting at the following upcoming conferences or events:

Building Local Breastfeeding Coalition  calls:  

Building Local Breastfeeding Coalition  virtual meeting will be  August 30th from 9 to 10 am. Come for support, ideas and sharing – leave inspired! These calls are designed to provide information and support to anyone interested in creating or strengthening a local breastfeeding coalition in KS. You can also dial in using your phone at (669) 224-3412; Access Code: 438-671-789.