LLL USA Leader Activity In relation to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding” July 1- December 31, 2011

LLL USA Leader Activity

In relation to the Surgeon General’s “Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding”

July 1- December 31, 2011

By Brenda Bandy

Action Step 1: Give mothers the support they need to breastfeed their babies.

Implementation Strategies:

• Help pregnant women to learn about the importance of breastfeeding for their babies and themselves.
• Teach mothers to breastfeed.
• Encourage mothers to talk to their maternity care providers about plans to breastfeed.
• Support mothers to have time and flexibility to breastfeed.
• Encourage mothers to ask for help with breastfeeding when needed.

· La Leche League USA hosted over 7500 discussion group meetings in over 1250 locations throughout the U.S. in the last six months of 2011, serving over 45,800 mothers. LLL meetings help women learn about breastfeeding, prepare for a good start and overcome common breastfeeding challenges.

· LLL Leaders responded to over 82,000 requests for information outside of regular meetings in the period of July 1 –December 31, 2011.

· LLL USA held over 95 breastfeeding conferences, providing families and the general public with breastfeeding education. Over 2000 parents attended these events.

· Over 100 LLL groups are now using social media to further reach and support mothers.

Action 2. Develop programs to educate fathers and grandmothers about breastfeeding.

Implementation Strategies:

• Launch or establish campaigns for breastfeeding education that target a mother's primary support network, including fathers and grandmothers.
• Offer classes on breastfeeding that are convenient for family members to attend.

· LLL USA welcomed fathers at over 650 meetings in the last half of 2011. Over 600 fathers attended.

· LLL USA held over 95 educational events, serving over 300 fathers.

Action 3. Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.

Implementation Strategies:

• Create and maintain a sustainable infrastructure for mother-to-mother support groups and for peer counseling programs in hospitals and community health care settings.

· 53 continuing education programs were held for LLL Leaders. Over 740 LLL Leaders participated.

Action 9. Provide education and training in breastfeeding for all health professionals who care for women and children.

Implementation Strategies:

• Improve the breastfeeding content in undergraduate and graduate education and training for health professionals.
• Establish and incorporate minimum requirements for competency in lactation care into health professional credentialing, licensing, and certification processes.
• Increase opportunities for continuing education on the management of lactation to ensure the maintenance of minimum competencies and skills.

· LLL USA hosted five continuing education programs for health care providers, providing breastfeeding education to approximately 470 health care providers in the last six months of 2011.