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National Breastfeeding Month
August is National Breastfeeding Month! Child Advocacy and the Gratiot County Breastfeeding Coalition (GCBC) are celebrating and recognizing all breastfeeding experiences this month as we work towards creating and sustaining a breastfeeding supportive culture in our local community.
Great improvements to the lactation resources available in Gratiot County have been made in 2024! Child Advocacy, MyMichigan Medical Center Alma, and the Mid-Michigan District Health Department (MMDHD) all received grants to expand their community breastfeeding support services. Child Advocacy’s Lactation Counselor and Breastfeeding Coalition Coordinator has been seeing clients for in-person 1:1 consultations, as well as offering a ‘Pumping Pantry’ where the necessary parts and pieces for pumping can be requested free of charge to families in need. The Outpatient Lactation Clinic at the MyMichigan Medical Center offers free in-person 1:1 consultations with International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) Erin Lovas every Wednesday, and the MMDHD was also able to increase their capacity to support all breastfeeding families. These community resources are listed in GCBC’s new Gratiot County Lactation Resource Guide rack card; which are free and available to all community partners for lobbies, waiting areas, and other client education areas. Give Child Advocacy a call at 989-463-1422 to request rack cards for your organization.
The GCBC also continued to grow this past year! First established in August of 2022, the Coalition has continued to gather for monthly meetings. Community partner agencies, along with local mothers, utilize these meetings to learn more from each other about the lactation and related resources available within our community and beyond as well and plan for future improvements to our community’s breastfeeding culture. Education is a top priority for the GCBC, and meetings typically begin with a presentation and discussion. New this past year was the inception of official Bylaws and Memorandum of Commitment, as well as an all-day Lactation Supporter Training! You may also have seen the GCBC represented at the Alma Highland Festival hosting the ‘Rock & Rest Tent’, a comfortable and private space for families to feed and change their infants while enjoying the festivities. The GCBC hosts monthly hybrid meetings on the fourth Wednesday of every month, and welcomes anyone wishing to learn more about breastfeeding and supporting the initiation and duration rates in our community. August’s meeting will be a celebratory (virtual only) meeting in honor of Breastfeeding Month and a review of this past year. Please visit www.gcbreastfeedingcoalition.com for more information specific to the GCBC and lactation resources, or follow us on Facebook ‘Gratiot County Breastfeeding Coalition.’
The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee has chosen the theme Nourish, Sustain, Thrive for their 14th annual National Breastfeeding Month. Their goal is to shine a light on why protecting, promoting, and supporting lactation is so important for the human life cycle, honor the incredible work that organizations are doing to make the world a little friendlier for new parents and families, and highlight how individuals, funders, and policymakers can contribute to a strong and sustainable lactation field. Additionally, the Michigan Breastfeeding Network’s (MIBFN) Breastfeeding Month theme is Feeding the Future in Every Drop, highlighting the importance of human milk for families both today and tomorrow. The MIBFN advocates for a more equitable, just, and breastfeeding-supportive culture as we nourish future generations.
Join us for one of our Breastfeeding Month events! Please see the 2024 Breastfeeding Month Calendar of Events below.
Amanda Siddall
Gratiot County Breastfeeding Coalition Coordinator
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