[Slide 1]{.underline}

**Putting Breastfeeding into Practice: Lessons from the Field**

Bette Begleiter

Maternity Care Coalition

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

[Slide 2]{.underline}

**Maternity Care Coalition: Strengthening Families, One Baby at a Time**

The mission of Maternity Care Coalition is to improve maternal and child
health and well-being through the collaborative effort of individuals,
families, providers, and communities.

[Slide 3]{.underline}

**MCC Programs at a Glance**

At the center of the slide is a diamond marked Supporting Pregnant, New
Parents. Arrows point outward from the diamond to a surrounding set of
10 overlapping ovals. The ovals are labeled Breastfeeding; Public
Benefits; Mom-Mobile; Immunization; Early Head Start; Healthy Start;
Healthy Living HIV Prevention; Smoke-Free Families; Research, Education
and Advocacy; and Pennsylvania Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies.

[Slide 4]{.underline}

**System and Community Change: Breastfeeding Advisory Committee**

Committee Membership

City and State Health Departments

Hospitals and universities

Lactation consultants and advocates

WIC, representing State and counties

City Council

Committee Charge

Community voice

Identify gaps

Identify resources

Support campaign

Recommendations for change

[Slide 5]{.underline}

**System and Community Change: Collaboration with State**

Explored options

Negotiated with State Health Department

Accomplishments

Healthy Baby Hotline

Hotline staff training

Strengthen resources

Breastfeeding mini-grants

Enhanced commitment to breastfeeding

Pennsylvania Department of Health Healthy Baby Line: 1 800, 9 8 6, Baby

A ringing telephone icon is shown.

[Slide 6]{.underline}

**Culture Shift: Breastfeeding Friendly Business Awards**

Process

Determine criteria

Call for nominations

Review and notification

A Breastfeeding Friendly Business Awards logo has the first B shaped
like a breastfeeding woman.

[Slide 7]{.underline}

**Culture Shift: Breastfeeding Friendly Business Awards**

Cigna

GlaxoSmithKline

Office of Senator Connie Williams

Pennsylvania Hospital

White Dog Café

[Slide 8]{.underline}

**Culture Shift: Reducing Barriers Through Decal Campaign\
**A Breastfeeding Welcome Here logo has the B shaped like a
breastfeeding woman.

[Slide 9]{.underline}

**Reducing Barriers Through Decal Campaign: Building a
Breastfeeding-Friendly Business**

For Customers slash Clients:

Sit anywhere and enjoy a welcoming attitude while breastfeeding

Staff slash employees trained to handle complaints

For Employees:

Time: adequate to express milk or nurse

Space: accessible, safe, clean, private space

Support: written breastfeeding policies communicated with a welcoming
attitude

Flexibility: accommodate each nursing mother's unique situation

[Slide 10]{.underline}

**Mom-Mobile Supports Breastfeeding**

Educate

Access resources

Refer

Encourage

[Slide 11]{.underline}

**Voices from the Field**

Barriers

Lack of resources

Public humiliation and isolation

Opposition of family and friends

*Quote: I wanted somewhere I can go that I felt comfortable.*

*Quote: A man told me that I should go and do that in the bathroom.*

[Slide 12]{.underline}

**Activities in the Field**

Staff training

Parent outreach meetings

Support groups

Advocacy

Box: Philly knows babies were born to be breastfed. Philadelphia law
protects your right to breastfeed.

Philadelphia Ordinance on Breastfeeding in Public, June 12^th^, 1997

It shall be an unlawful accommodations practice:

For any person being the owner, proprietor, manager, superintendent, or
employee of any place of public accommodation, resort or amusement to:

Prohibit a breastfeeding mother from, or segregate a breastfeeding
mother within, any public accommodation where she and her baby would
otherwise be authorized to be, irrespective of whether or not the nipple
of the mother's breast is covered during or incidental to breastfeeding.

[Slide 13]{.underline}

**Lessons from the Field**

Working with all three levels of government lends credibility

Use troops already on the ground

Breastfeeding promotion may need careful packaging

[Slide 14]{.underline}

**For More Information**\
www.MOMobile.org/resources/breastfeeding.html

A screen shot of http://www.momobile.org/breastfeeding/ is shown.