A Message from the Chair

Happy 2019!

A new year brings lots of exciting activities and collaborative opportunities for all of us so now is always a good time to let you know that your KBC Board and staff continues their hard work on normalizing and supporting breastfeeding in our great state!

Many of you recently received an email from our Executive Director, Brenda Bandy, seeking qualified individuals to present in-person, one-day breastfeeding education courses:  Breastfeeding Basics and  Advanced Lactation . The KBC has developed these courses in partnership with the Institute for the Advancement of Breastfeeding and Lactation Education (IABLE).  We have received a great response to the call for trainers. Now we need your help to fill the training calendar!  Please consider  hosting a training in 2019.  All you need to provide is space for participants and a projector. AND host sites receive a limited number of free registrations based on the number of registrations received. For more information, feel free to contact Brenda Bandy.

I would also like to draw your attention to the KBC’s website as we have added a few new breastfeeding resources including a page on equity,  http://ksbreastfeeding.org/our-work/equity/ .  Take a peek and click on one of three tabs to access a wealth of information on: racial equity, geographic equity, and LGBTQ equity.  

Last, as you know, during the month of February, we have out-going and in-coming members to our Board. During the last three years, Jo Dowling has served as your Chair-elect, Chair, and immediate past Chair.  On behalf of our Board and our membership, I want to thank Jo for her hard work and her commitment to serve in these positions. I also want to extend a warm welcome to our Chair-elect, Sarah Jolley, as well as to our Secretary, Susan Lukwago, and Member-at-large, Treva Smith, who were re-elected to serve in their respective positions.  

Many of us are eagerly awaiting Spring and though Mother Nature appears to stretch our patience at times, Spring is on its way and I can’t wait to discover that first robin in my yard. Wishing you all a happy (early) Spring!

Lisette

NEW Breastfeeding Education opportunities in Kansas!

Beginning in the spring of 2019, the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition will offer two 1-day breastfeeding courses -  Breastfeeding Basics and  Advanced Lactation.   These 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 will include continuing education as well as membership in IABLE and the KBC. Courses will be offered separately or in combination for a 2-day experience. Course outlines, registration, dates and locations will be available on our website (yellow button below). Interested in becoming a trainer or hosting a course? Please contact Brenda Bandy at   [email protected] .

KBC General Membership Meeting

The next General membership meeting will be February 8th , 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Agenda

11:30  Welcome & Introductions

11:35  Approval of previous meeting minutes (attached) and current agenda

11:40  Member Section Updates – Section Chairs

11:50  KBC Breastfeeding Education Courses – Brenda Bandy, KBC Executive Director

12:00  KBC Annual Financial Report – Earlisha Killen, KBC Treasurer

12:10  United Methodist Health Ministry Fund’s Support of Breastfeeding – Katie Schoenhoff, Program Officer, UMHMF

12:30  Cleft Newborn Feeding Strategies – Helen Huff, Brenda Sitzmann, and Dr. Alison Kaye 

12:50  KBC Board of Directors Transitions

1:00  Adjourn

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 

KBC joining new groups      

The KBC is busy integrating breastfeeding into new areas!  The KBC joined the following groups:

Look where we’ve been!

Look where we're going!      

Birth of a new breastfeeding coalition!     

The KBC welcomes the Johnson County Breastfeeding Coalition who held their “Start-up” meeting conversation on Jan. 15 ^th .  If you are interested in learning more about the Johnson Co. Breastfeeding Coalition, please contact Danica Pelzel at  [email protected]

KBC Member Section Updates   

Child Care

The Child Care Section has been working on the  Breastfeeding Support in the Child Care Setting  document .  With the help of our many Section partners, we are close to completion. Once the document is finalized, it will be available on the KBC website along with Section partners websites. The Child Care Section meets monthly on the 2 ^nd Wednesday of the month, 12-1:00 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

The most recent meeting was on January 10, 2019. Kris Nicholson, Chair of the KBC Childcare Section told us about that Section.Brenda Bandy shared some preliminary results from the Local BF Coalitions Needs Assessment Survey. More to come. The Section decided to create a 2-4 page tool kit for local breastfeeding coalitions. This document would be based on the Michigan Breastfeeding Networks Blueprint and include resources from the KBC Tools for Coalitions Page and findings from the recent KBC coalitions survey. This is going to be really cool and useful. Turns out our Tools for Coalitions page does not have much in the way of sample governance documents. We are all asked to share local coalition governance documents. Please send to Brenda Bandy or Susan Lukwago. The Local Breastfeeding Coalitions Section meets on the 2nd Thursday of odd # months. However due to Spring Break, the next meeting will be March 28th from 12:00 to 1:00. We will be working on the Tool Kit and have invited a guest speaker. 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 is creating a comprehensive list of these programs, and once the list is complete, the Section plans to utilize it as a tool to ensure that relevant parties are represented in our Section, as well as to determine priorities for future projects. The  Inventory of Kansas Public Health Initiatives document is available for all to view. Please join us for the next meeting on February 14 ^th from 10-11am. Submitted by Kara Watts, Chair. For more information, contact Kara at  [email protected]

Hospital Section

The Hospital Section is creating an algorithm “Medications & Breastfeeding” to guide decision-making with regards to medications and breastfeeding.  Hospitals are seeing an increase in the number of mothers on multiple medications, making it difficult for her healthcare team to assess the risk to the infant when breastfeeding.  The document will be launched with a webinar in late summer, hopefully in partnership with physician organizations in Kansas.  It will be disseminated widely to all hospital departments that encounter pregnant and breastfeeding mothers, and to community partners.  In addition, the Hospital Section is sharing internal hospital resources and/or policies pertaining to the counseling of mothers about breastfeeding when they have used drugs/medications before being admitted for giving birth.  The Hospital Section meets monthly on the 4 ^th Tuesday from 12-1 PM.  Contact Kathy Walker at  [email protected] for more information or to join the Hospital Section .

New “ Community Supporting Breastfeeding ”      

The Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition officially designates the African-American community of Wyandotte County as a “ Community Supporting Breastfeeding ”! Through hard work and dedication, S tacy Yeager and the African-American Breastfeeding Coalition of WYCO have built a culture of breastfeeding support in the African-American community of Wyandotte County with fewer barriers to breastfeeding and increased opportunities for support.

Advocacy Efforts

New “ Breastfeeding Employee Support Award” recipients :

Know of a supportive employer? Help them complete the  award application or send their name and contact information to Brenda Bandy at  [email protected] and she will follow up with them.

Building Local Breastfeeding Coalition  calls:  

Building Local Breastfeeding Coalition virtual meeting will be Feb. 15 ^th from 9:00 – 10:00 a.m..  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. To join, use the button link below.  You can also dial in using your phone at (669) 224-3412; Access Code: 438-671-789.  Save these 2019 dates for calls from 9-10 AM: May 17, Aug. 23 & Nov. 15 

Time to renew your KBC membership!

Your KBC membership expires Feb. 15, 2019. Renew your membership for 2019 by clicking the button below.  NOTE: If you attended the Kansas Breastfeeding Conference on Nov. 1 ^{s t} , you received a free 2019 KBC membership good until February 2020 . Why should someone join the KBC? For only $10 you receive up to date information about breastfeeding events, opportunities and initiatives. You are also building the capacity of the only state-wide organizations whose sole purpose is to promote, protect and support breastfeeding in Kansas. Members are also eligible to serve on the Board of Directors and vote at general KBC meetings. 

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