Fully Available Support

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Today a group of lactation support providers gathered at the Durham County Human Resources Building to discuss how we could improve. Breastfeeding Family Friendly Communities of Durham and the other lactation support providers discussed a variety of topics including changing our name to Breastfeed Durham. We worked together to begin the process of improving our community resource lists, improving availability of lactation support groups, and improving availability of lactation support services.

Are Durham’s breastfeeding support groups and services, fully available to all?

Conference Room A  Human Services Building, 414 East Main Street, Durham, NC  27701

Meeting minutes:

Topic: Are Durham Community’s breastfeeding support groups and services, including International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs), La Leche League (LLL), and other skilled breastfeeding support, fully available to all in the community?

  • What are you doing and what can be done to provide active community support for referral and independent action by breastfeeding families to find the support they need?
  • Kim: outpatient lactation resource list currently reviewed with mothers as they discharge from hospital – however, holes in list – needs completion/updates – needs to cover more geographical areas. Stress importance of peer-to-peer community support (groups). New Lactation team in mom/baby unit.
  • Jan: teaches prep class for expecting parents, focusing on first 2 weeks of establishing breastfeeding. 2 hour class ($40) – includes one free follow up call. Willing to share curriculum so others can teach.
  • Need to continue to collaborate and share resource lists.
  • Region 4 meeting 1/29 10:00-1 centennial campus NCSU – good opportunity to collaborate
  • Is more active collaboration between health care providers and community breastfeeding support entities needed to support families?
    • List the needs
    • Need healthcare providers to help encourage/spread awareness of lactation education resources. CGBI has a free Ready Set Baby program. 
    • Need to be aware of all the resources and share with each other.
    • How can Family Connects “refer” families to LLL legally? Protocol – get family consent then cc a text to both parent and LLL rep to make introduction 
    • Kim and Jan working on updating list of all lactation support providers
    • Add to website – check with your provider, list known providers w/ support services 
    • Double check about all meeting times on website
    • Put more specific locations or contact numbers for some of the meetings – link all meetings of LLL back to site
    • Link to a “find your WIC”
    • Add TAPS link under parenting support
  • How can we make at least one communication to the public on this mutual effort of all the peer-to-peer support groups in Durham County? 
    • Announce it at the next NCBC meetings
    • Put it on the BFFC website
    • What else?
    • Create instagram and link to fb, post about all meetings (schedule auto posts)
  • Specifically talk about how to support grandmothers, aunts, and other family members who provide loving influence and guidance in the family.
    • How could we be more welcoming?
    • Literature directed at grandmas, inclusive images
    • Add resources to website – family support page
    • Senior center support meeting? Quarterly? 
  • How do we reach pregnant families in Durham?
    • Which clinics or providers still need more support, education, or information in order to provide active referrals of parents to the Durham Lactation Support Community? 
    • Contacting and adding clinics (Jan working on)
  • When should we meet again…. 
  • Quarterly electronic update; annually in person
  • Jan’s classes – 1/25 9-11:30 & 1/26 9-11:30 (email Jan if you’d like to attend either)