National Breastfeeding Resources
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
www.bfmed.org
The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is a worldwide organization of physicians dedicated to the promotion, protection and support of breastfeeding and human lactation. Our mission is to unite members of the various medical specialties with this common purpose through: Physician education, Expansion of knowledge in both breastfeeding science and human lactation, Facilitation of optimal breastfeeding practices, Encouragement of the exchange of information among organizations A central goal of The Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine is the development of clinical protocols for managing common medical problems that may impact breastfeeding success.
African American Breastfeeding Alliance
www.aabaonline.com
The African-American Breastfeeding Alliance (AABA) is the first organization whose sole purpose is to promote breastfeeding to African-American mothers, fathers and families. AABA's goals are to: improve the overall health status of African-American babies; increase access to breastfeeding information for African-American parents; and create a breastfeeding-friendly culture within the African-American community.
Baby Friendly USA
www.babyfriendlyusa.org
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to encourage and recognize hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for lactation. The BFHI assists hospitals in giving breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies and gives special recognition to hospitals that have done so.
Baby Milk Action
www.babymilkaction.org
Baby Milk Action is a non-profit organization which aims to save lives and to end the avoidable suffering caused by inappropriate infant feeding. Baby Milk Action works within a global network to strengthen independent, transparent and effective controls on the marketing of the baby feeding industry.
Ban the Bags
www.banthebags.org
Home of the national campaign to stop hospital-based marketing of infant formula to new mothers.
Breastfeeding.com
www.breastfeeding.com
Site for Breastfeeding information, support and resources.
Breastfeeding Basics
www.breastfeedingbasics.org
Breastfeeding Basics is an academic, non-commercial, short course on the fundamentals of breastfeeding. It is geared primarily for the medical practitioner, although anyone is welcome to browse or take the course.
Dr. Jack Newman .com
www.drjacknewman.com
Site contains breastfeeding information and video clips by a nationally recognized expert
Got Mom
www.gotmom.org
GotMom.org was created by the American College of Nurse-Midwives (ACNM) to provide breastfeeding information and resources for mothers and families. It contains information on why breastmilk is best, dispels common misunderstandings about breastfeeding, and it provides a list of resources that can help women and families with breastfeeding, information for employers, and links to the latest research findings.
Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA)
www.hmbana.org
Did you know that you can donate your breastmilk to babies in need? Ideally, breast milk comes from a baby's own mother. But when this is not possible, you can give your baby breast milk from donors (other women's breast milk), which provides the same precious nutrition and disease fighting properties as your own breast milk. If your baby has special needs, such as intolerance to formula, severe allergies, is failing to thrive on formula, is premature or has other health problems, he or she may need donated human milk not only for health, but also for survival (www.4woman.gov). Click on the link for HMBANA above for more detailed information.
International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE)
www.ibcle.org
IBCLE is the accrediting board for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. The IBLCE examination is the premier, internationally recognized measure of competence in lactation consulting. On their website, you can search to find a list of all currently certified IBCLCs in the United States and worldwide.
International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA)
www.ilca.org
ILCA is the association of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants. Information can be found on this website that explains the role of the International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in helping mothers and babies breastfeed. It lists reasons why a mother may need to consult an IBCLC and links to a searchable online directory for United States-based IBCLCs and those based internationally.
La Leche League International
www.lalecheleague.org
La Leche League International is an international leader in providing guidelines for breastfeeding and mother-to-mother support through their international network of mother support groups. On their website, you can find a local La Leche League leader as well as information on breastfeeding and meetings/seminars held by La Leche League (LLL). LLL has a searchable database where you can locate both international board certified lactation consultants or La Leche League Leaders in your area. The site also contains comprehensive information on breastfeeding legislation and other breastfeeding resources.
National Conference of State Legislatures Breastfeeding Law Summary
www.ncsl.org http://www.ncsl.org/programs/health/breast50.htm
The National Conference of State Legislatures provides a state-by-state breakdown of laws and guidelines regarding breastfeeding in public and at work. For current laws in the state of Texas see the Tex. Health Code Ann. § 161.071 (2001) which requires the Department of Health to establish minimum guidelines for the procurement, processing, distribution, or use of human milk by donor milk banks. (HB 391) and Tex. Health Code Ann. § 165.001 et seq. and § 165.031 et seq. (1995) which authorizes a woman to breastfeed her child in any location and provides for the use of a "mother-friendly" designation for employers who have policies supporting work site breastfeeding. (HB 340, HB 359)
National Women's Health Information Center
www.4women.gov
The National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC) is a service of the Office on Women's Health (OWH) in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The OWH office serves as a focal point within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to address the inequities in health research, health care services, and public and health professional education that have placed the health of American women at risk. Part of the OWH mission is to coordinate women's health initiatives across the Department of Health and Human Services and to disseminate state-of-the-art information to women nationwide.
The United States Breastfeeding Committee
www.usbreastfeeding.org
The mission of United States Breastfeeding Committee is to improve the Nation's health by working collaboratively to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.
Texas Breastfeeding Resources
Statewide Lactation Support Hotline 1 (800) 514-6667 (MOMS)
The lactation support hotline is a referral hotline available to anyone in Texas. Lactation specialists provide answers to breastfeeding questions. They will also give referral numbers of lactation specialists local to the Texas caller.
Dr. Thomas Hale
http://neonatal.ama.ttuhsc.edu/lact/ www.ibreastfeeding.com
Dr. Thomas Hale Professor of Pediatrics-Texas Tech University Health Sciences. Dr. Hale is an experienced clinical pharmacologist with many years of lecturing in all areas of pharmacology and therapeutics. He currently is considered a leading expert in the use of medications in breastfeeding women and travels world-wide lecturing on the topic of using medications in breastfeeding mothers.
Texas Ten Steps
www.dshs.state.tx.us/wichd/lactate/txfact.shtm
The Texas Hospital Association and the Texas Department of State Health Services together have developed the Texas Ten Step Facility Program in an effort to improve the health of Texas mothers and infants by promoting breastfeeding. The objectives of the Texas Ten Step Facility Program are to encourage facilities to reach the goal of having 75 percent of their mothers breastfeeding at discharge; to help facilities support breastfeeding mothers before, during, and after delivery; and to encourage facilities to identify breastfeeding resources for mothers after they are discharged. For information on the ten steps, download the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding information sheet or visit The Texas Ten Steps Model Policy page.
Texas Breastfeeding Coalition
www.txbfcoalition.org
The Texas Breastfeeding Coalition is a consortium of breastfeeding promotion groups, organizations that work with mothers and babies, and interested individuals from across the state.
Mother’s Milk Bank of Austin
Mother’s Milk Bank of Austin
www.mmbaustin.org
Human donor milk is prescribed by doctors to help premature and ill infants across the country. It is Mother’s Milk Bank of Austin’s job to collect and distribute that milk.
Mother’s Milk Bank of North Texas
Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas
www.mmbnt.org
The Mothers’ Milk Bank of North Texas is a non-profit agency founded in 2003 to provide premature and critically ill infants with donor human milk when their mother’s own milk is not available.