Elizabeth and her happy son Liam met Robin the IBCLC at the Milk Depot in Ellsworth. Elizabeth is a generous donor of Human Milk, donating over 500 ounces to the Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast so far. That will reach many babies.

In an emergency like a severe storm, there is a risk of water contamination. Contaminated water can lead to diarrhea and dehydration in babies. Whether breastfed, bottle fed or formula fed, a few simple steps can avoid this serious problem.

“There are so many different ways to be involved and they’re all really important.” Brooke Barron reviewed the basic steps of legislation. Learn about important dates and ways to communicate with your legislators.

Congratulations to this WIC office in Ellsworth, Maine! They won a Gold Award from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). This crew has offered practical support and resources to many families in the Downeast region of Maine.

There are several ways for us to better provide more Human Milk to more babies. When every baby receives human milk, we will be a healthier Maine. Help close the gap in access to breast milk. Learn about what you can do and celebrate World Breastfeeding Week August 1-7, 2024.

Tired and anxious parents are the obvious and especially vulnerable targets of manipulative marketing. The W.H.O Code (a.k.a the International Code of Marketing of Breast-Milk Substitutes) was created to protect parents/families from this. Participate in a research study that will collect data on this negative practice.

There is now a Milk Depot in Ellsworth at Anchored Women’s Health. “Our goal is to increase awareness of and access to donor milk in Maine.” Babies need Donor Human Milk for many reasons. Learn more about the donating Human Milk and the network of Milk Banks.

World Breastfeeding Week is every August. Breastfeeding is important to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals established by the United Nations. This year the theme is centered on “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a difference for Working Parents”.

We can learn from the pandemic. Paid Family Leave costs money, though not having Paid Family Leave costs money, too. Other states have varied forms of family leave, Maine needs something, too. This is an important time to address Paid Family Leave with our legislators.

Zulilah Merry has made this documentary entitled “No One Told Me”. This film shows the support that honors the Transition of postpartum, not just the Birth. We see how the family manages big adjustments and gradually learns new skills.

There’s good news about the Providing Urgent Maternal Protections (PUMP) Act in 2023. In addition there’s the passage of the Pregnant Workers Fairness Act (PWFA). These are both supportive of the unique needs of lactating and pregnant people.

Gift bags and free formula samples are aimed at tired, vulnerable parents in the hospitl. These families who receive gift bags with formula samples discontinue breastfeeding sooner or even altogether. Banning these gift bags is a policy that supports breastfeeding and promotes the health of families.

Many muscles and nerves are involved in opening the jaw, moving the tongue and swallowing. There are several approaches to help babies with feeding difficulties. This panel discussion includes five practitioners approaches to tongue tie: an ENT doctor, a pediatrician, an IBCLC, a dentist and an osteopath doctor.

Every August is World Breastfeeding Week. The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition honors this time with four interesting webinars. Learn more about food allergies and breastfeeding, sleep patterns for babies, approaches to tongue tie with five different practitioners and the experience of solo breastfeeding parents. Each of these webinars is free.