Breastfeed Durham is welcoming in the new year! This past year has been a transformational year for Breastfeed Durham. We are so grateful for each and every one of you joining us on this journey of cultivating breastfeeding friendly communities. Our work is important and necessary for families not only in Durham, but across the nation. In fact, we want to celebrate the PUMP Act (Providing Urgent Maternal Protections for Nursing Mothers Act) being passed in the Senate as part of the omnibus spending package at the end of last year. And for the first time in US history, accommodating the needs of all lactating employees is required by law. This is huge news and an energizing catalyst as we start the new year with so many upcoming events, including our First Food Equity Series and various coalition meetings!

Reflections help us learn, grow, understand, and appreciate our experiences. Thank you to our staff, volunteers, community partners, and community members for sharing how you have engaged and the impactful and memorable experiences you've had with Breastfeed Durham this past year. We are so lucky to have you.

“This has been a very wonderful year with Breastfeed Durham. I have seen Breastfeed Durham reach so many parents this year alone. There were so many beautiful events and wonderful trainings that I attended this year. The stories touched my heart. From hearing parents talk about the good, the bad and ugly journeys of breastfeeding to learning more about advocating for breastfeeding communities and businesses and finding out that there are more people and families that are welcoming to breastfeeding. I can write a whole blog about the year of 2022 but I will let the newsletter show itself.”
- Bernadette Green, Executive Director

"Bernadette brought energy and enthusiasm. She spearheaded a transformative community event with Breastfeed Durham’s 2022 Family Festival. We are thrilled to have this project continued on by community partners in 2023. But the biggest transformational moment of the year was still to come at the end of September when, with less than 1 week notice, the Durham County Department of Public Health came to us with a phenomenal scope of work to be completed within 8 months--and starting in just a few days. As a result, it has meant collecting data in a whole new way and narrowing our focus."

"I started with Breastfeed Durham as a volunteer and now will be leading the Asian American Native Hawaiian Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Lactation Support Coalition. I am excited to connect with local community members and organizations to expand the support for the AANHPI community in the area."

"I am new to Breastfeed Durham but I have engaged by offering some Spanish translations and joining in on meetings, and I am really excited to help propel our Pro-Lactancia Coalition forward."

"Breastfeed Durham was very instrumental in helping our facility achieve the Breastfeed-Friendly Child Care Designation Award, both locally and statewide. The impact that Breastfeed Durham had on our facility is that our staff learned so much more about how to normalize breastfeeding at our center. This all occurred when Breastfeed Durham came out and shared their expertise by looking over our breastfeeding policy, offering recommendations for materials we should include in all the classrooms and in our lactation room, and having meetings with the staff.  The knowledge and passion Breastfeed Durham shared left a lasting impact on our program."

In this session of the Building Blocks to Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Learning Bursts, we focus on using classroom materials to support children's exposure to and experiences with breastfeeding. Email Breastfeed Durham if you view any of the child care videos. We have an opportunity to secure additional funding if we can document that 35 providers have viewed the videos.