Who We Are

The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition (formerly Breastfeeding Task Force) was formed in 1990. The coalition is made up of health professionals, including, but not limited to nurses, physicians, dietitians, health educators, social workers, certified lactation consultants, and lay counselors who provide services to mothers and babies.

The purpose of the coalition is to:

Educate and train professionals.
Identify and reduce barriers which keep mothers from beginning or continuing to breastfeed.
Provide a network for professionals to share resources.

Organizations and Associations represented on the Coalition:
Maine Citizens
Maine Academy of Family Physicians
ME Association of Nurse Practitioners
ME Chapter, Am. Academy of Pediatrics
ME Chapter, Am. College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Maine Department of Education
ME DHHS, ME CDC Public Health Nursing
Maine Lactation Consultants Association (MELCA)
ME Women, Infants & Children Nutrition Program (WIC)
Maine Dietetic Association
Maine State Nurses Association
Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (AWHONN)
La Leche League of Maine
ME Chapter, AM. College of Nurse Midwives
Rural Health Centers
Int. Childbirth Education Association
Women & Children‘s Preventive Health Services Program

Our Goal
We are striving to meet the national objectives for breastfeeding initiation and duration as outlined by Healthy People 2010.

The Coalition’s target is to help Maine have 75% of its infants breastfeeding at hospital discharge, 50% of those babies still breastfeeding at six months and 25% breastfeeding to one year of age.

Coalition Strategies
Provide all mothers, regardless of age, income, marital status, ethnic background or other socioeconomic consideration, with access to resources for emotional support and skilled assistance to establish and maintain lactation.

Empower families with adequate information to make informed decisions during the prenatal period.

Connect families with professionals for intervention if possible barriers to breastfeeding are identified in the prenatal period.

Increase public awareness of the health benefits of breastfeeding for both the mother and the baby.

Eliminate obstacles within the health care system that interfere with breastfeeding success.

Foster policies in work sites that create an environment conducive to maintaining lactation while a mother is separated from her infant.

Increase community services that support breastfeeding as the cultural norm.

Increase public awareness of the ecological and social benefits of breastfeeding.

Our Meetings
The State Coalition meets quarterly to work on these goals. The group has also been divided into regional coalitions to better achieve these goals at the local level.

For more information on coalition activities in your area or to get involved with the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition, please contact:
Hannah James, CLC
Breastfeeding Coordinator
Maine WIC Nutrition Program
Hannah.James@maine.gov
(207)-287-3992
1-800-437-9300
TTY 1-800-606-0215

You are invited to join a local coalition to help make breastfeeding work in Maine.

Aroostook County Breastfeeding Coalition

Central Maine Breastfeeding Coalition

Greater Bangor Breastfeeding Coalition

Hancock County Breastfeeding Coalition

Midcoast Breastfeeding Coalition

Kennebec and Somerset Breastfeeding Coalition

Southern Maine Breastfeeding Coalition

Washington County Breastfeeding Coalition

We will provide assistance in forming additional local breastfeeding coalitions if desired.

Activities to Promote Breastfeeding:
Breastfeeding Workshops for Professionals
Preparation of Educational Materials for Professionals and Families
World Breastfeeding Events and Promotions
Breastfeeding Education in Schools
Public Service Announcements
Breastfeeding Media Watch Campaign
Case Study Reviews
Updates from Lactation Seminars
National & Statewide Networking with Professionals
Promoting Family-Friendly Policies at Work sites
Healthy Families and Child Care Provider Education
State & Regional Meetings

WHEREAS, the Surgeon General of the United
States, the World Health Organization, AAP,
UNICEF and other health care organizations recommend that babies from birth to one year of age be breastfed unless medically contraindicated, in order to maintain an optimal healthy start, and

WHEREAS, breast milk offers an ideal balance of nutrients, immune factors, anti-infective properties, allergy protection, and digestive advantages, and breastfeedingpromotes improved mother-baby bonding and is convenient and economical,

NOW, THEREFORE... The Maine Breastfeeding Coalition believes that mothers should be encouraged to give only breast milk to their infants for the first six months of life. (Artificial baby milk should be used only in those rare cases where it is medically indicated.)

ACCORDINGLY, the Breastfeeding Coalition invites all Health Care providers in the State of Maine who work with pregnant and lactating women to join our efforts to promote breastfeeding as the preferred method of infant feeding in our state.

Please Join Us!

Maine State
Breastfeeding Coalition

Position Statement
on
Infant Feeding

The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition supports the right of all infants to receive only breast milk for the first six months of life, followed by the introduction of age-appropriate foods, while continuing to breastfeed for the whole first year or beyond. Artificial baby milk should be used only when the mother has made an informed decision not to breastfeed or when medically indicated, under the guidance of a qualified health care provider.