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About Us
We believe in the value of human milk, and in the health of parents, babies, and families.
We care about those vulnerable, exhausting first days as a new parent spent recovering from birth, learning how to feed, and becoming a new family. We care about women in the workforce, and are dedicated to fostering paid leave, participating in childcare conversations, and promoting a workplace supportive of lactating parents.
Foundationally we are an active, vocal player in Maine supporting and advocating for healthy moms and babies, a healthier community, and a healthier state.
Through our connections and leadership, we have a real opportunity to grow our presence by opening up support for new families, amplifying the vital needs of new parents through policy and advocacy, and changing cultures in the workplace.
Our Vision
When every baby receives human milk we will be a healthier Maine.
Our Mission
The MSBC is a welcoming and broad network of people supporting families who value human milk and lactation. Together we work to enhance the culture of breastfeeding and chestfeeding around the state through advocacy, education, and connection.
Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Belonging, Justice
The Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition (MSBC) is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and justice in our support of lactation professionals, human milk feeding families, and their communities.
MSBC commits to serving all professionals, families, and communities inclusive of their race, ethnicity, culture, immigration status, national origin, creed, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and expression, family structure, primary language, ability, religion, or socio-economic status.
We can best fulfill our mission of human milk for all babies when our volunteers reflect the diverse families we serve. We seek to address historical disparities in human milk feeding through advocacy and education. MSBC embraces the full spectrum of humanity, and commits to serving all professionals, families, and their diverse communities to fulfill our mission of human milk for all Maine babies.
Learn more about Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Policy. Questions/Comments? Contact Board President and DEI Committee Chair Petrichor Kneeland-Campbell or Executive Director Kara Kaikini
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MSBC Strategic Plan
Connect
GOAL
Deepen community engagement in the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition by providing opportunities for connection, networking, and partnerships among a diverse range of stakeholders.
OBJECTIVES
Increase # of individuals and organizations consistently attending bimonthly meetings and MSBC 10% each year.
Increase participation among underrepresented and underserved groups including BIPOC, LGBTQ+, low-income individuals, and geographical area within: MSBC Board, meeting/event participants, guest speakers, event partners events.
Support/Educate
GOAL
Provide and promote breast/chestfeeding educational opportunities and resources.
OBJECTIVES
Increase the traffic and number of educational resources on the MSBC website by December 2022.
Include opportunities for lactation professionals to expand their skill sets and knowledge in 75% of coalition meetings.
Promote breast/chestfeeding educational opportunities and resources through monthly MSBC communication pathways.
GOAL
Optimize workplaces in Maine and empower employers to create supportive cultures for breastfeeding employees.
OBJECTIVES
Develop a downloadable best practices workplace toolkit and launch by December 2021.
Release a breastfeeding-friendly workplace designation by September 2022.
Increase the number of recognized breastfeeding-friendly workplaces by 10% each year starting in 2023.
Advocate
GOAL
Promote legislation that will allow more Maine families to achieve their breast milk feeding goals through access to paid family and medical leave, workplace support, lactation care, postpartum health care, donor breast milk, and other systems and policies that facilitate breastfeeding.
OBJECTIVES
Advocate for one policy or legislative initiative each year that enables more Maine parents to achieve their breast milk feeding goals.
Increase the number/percentage of MSBC board members who express “strong confidence” in their advocacy skills via an annual board survey.
Form an Advocacy Committee to establish relationships with key legislators and staff by 2022.
Sustain
GOAL
Ensure the long-term sustainability and efficacy of the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition.
OBJECTIVES
Provide educational opportunities for board members twice a year.
Hire a paid Executive Director by 2022.
Increase financial stability by diversifying revenue streams to include donors, grants, and membership dues over the next 5 years (by 2026).
Perform an annual assessment of needed improvements and strengths of coalition.
Implement ongoing board recruitment process.
History
The MSBC was formed in 1990, originally known as the Breastfeeding Task Force, an all-volunteer group with leadership support from the Maine WIC Program.
The MSBC served a networking opportunity for the regional coalitions and other member initiatives— mainly during bimonthly conference call meetings with USBC/CDC webinars.
The MSBC’s central focus was planning and hosting a well-attended statewide breastfeeding conference.
Our Board Members & Staff
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Kara Kaikini
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Kara has been an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant since 2009. She has worked as a home visitor, postpartum doula, childbirth educator, Childbirth Education and Lactation Services Program Manager and currently teaches prenatal classes and facilitates the weekly breastfeeding group for Maine Medical Center. She was the Lactation Specialist for Maine CDC's Maternal Child Health Program/Perinatal Outreach & Education Consultant Program from 2016 - 2022 and is a member of the Perinatal Quality Collaborative of Maine (PQC4ME) Steering Committee and Diversity Equity Inclusion and Belonging Committee.
Kara is passionate about providing education, support, and advocacy for new parents, and greatly appreciates the opportunity to work with the amazing MSBC leadership team! Kara lives in Freeport with her husband and two energetic boys and also serves on the RSU5 School Board.
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Petrichor Kneeland Campbell
BOARD PRESIDENT
Petrichor is a queer, transgender, and disabled La Leche League Leader in Bangor, ME. They are an advocate for diversity, equity, inclusion, justice, and belonging, and strive to make the world of birthing, human milk feeding, and parenting a more inclusive space. In addition to being a Board member with MSBC, they also serve as the DEIJB Committee Chair. They have been a La Leche League Leader since 2018, and serve as the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Coordinator for LLL USA. In these roles, Petrichor has helped develop policies and trainings to bring DEIJB into the First Food Field.
Petrichor holds a BA in Psychology, and has completed work towards a Master’s in Interdisciplinary Studies. Before becoming a stay-at-home parent, they worked with disabled children. When Petrichor is not advocating for diversity and inclusion in human milk feeding spaces, they can be found running their custom clothing business, reading cozy graphic novels, doing art, swimming, and gaming with their spouse and five kids.
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Sara Morris
TREASURER
Sara is an Accountant with a versatile skill set that includes expertise in grant writing, process re-engineering, and team management. She attained an MBA from the University of Maine and continually seeks opportunities to expand her knowledge and expertise. Prior to her career in accounting, Sara pursued her interest in biology, earning a B.S. in the field and gaining experience in education, bench research, and BioBanking.
Sara's firsthand experience as a working parent, juggling the responsibilities of her career and breastfeeding her two children, has given her deep insights into the challenges that feeding parents commonly encounter in the workplace. Her personal journey fuels her passion for the cause, and she eagerly looks forward to utilizing her skills and experiences to empower others on their unique breastfeeding journeys.
Outside of her professional life, Sara resides in Scarborough with her husband and two children, frequently enjoying trips to the beach. Alongside these beach outings, she finds joy in photography and crafting.
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Kim Collard
SECRETARY
Kim was an active duty Marine over 18 years ago when she had her first child. The parenting support she received then started her on the path toward her career today in the family visitor field. She has a Bachelor's of Science degree in Maternal and Infant Health, an Associate degree in Graphic Design, and a passion for showing families their hidden strengths through lactation education. Kim has been a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) for over twelve years and has worked for WIC, domestic violence shelters, crisis units and freelanced as a photo editor. Kim has also volunteered as a birth trauma counselor, La Leche League, and various IBCLCs.
Supporting parents as they prepare for birth and feeding their baby human milk continues to be a driving force in Kim's work. She enjoys the field of preventative health and supporting many causes that promote equity and evidence-based healthcare. Outside of work, Kim is an avid reader, board gamer, and video game enthusiast. She has 3 teenagers and 3 large dogs, all of whom require daily treats and hugs.
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Amy Marchessault
Amy Marchessault currently works as the Managing Partner of the Flatbread Company, a restaurant in Portland. Amy has a BA in Anthropology from the University of Maine, which makes her especially interested in helping families from all cultural backgrounds receive equal access to quality care and information.
Amy is known to be a passionate advocate for families throughout all stages of parenthood. She believes it’s important to meet people where they’re at, judgment free, to best serve them on their journey.
Amy resides in Topsham with her husband and two children. She loves anything regarding nature, making food and creating art. One of her favorite parenting moments was breastfeeding her two-month-old while marching in the 2017 Women’s March.
Amy has a unique perspective for the MSBC, as she has seen firsthand how challenging it can be for a breastfeeding parent in the service industry. She is excited to help others work through these challenges regardless of their background or occupation.
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Emily Elting
Emily is proud to say she has spent her career thus far learning every day at L.L.Bean. She is a leader in Customer Analytics and Marketing and never met a math problem she didn't like. She first came to Maine for her Bachelor's degree at Colby College and since then has put down roots.
Emily is a mother to two children and owes so much of her parenting skills and sanity to the doulas, doctors, lactation consultants, physical therapists and beyond whose support make parenting wonderful. She is fortunate to have family and in-laws nearby and a supportive work environment for parents. She lives in Portland with husband Will and their kids, enjoying the restaurant, music, and performing arts scene, games of all sorts, and the outdoors.
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Lucy Nelson
Lucy is a certified birth and postpartum doula. She works with the Community Doula Birth Program, providing sliding-scale doula services for Maine families, and as a hospital-based doula at Portsmouth Regional Hospital. She also teaches prenatal and postpartum yoga and Mindful Birth & Comfort Measures classes.
Before the birth of her oldest son, Lucy worked as a nurse but shifted gears after realizing how important it is for new parents to have support.
Lucy is a mom of 3. She homeschools her youngest 2 children and enjoys cooking, knitting, and spending time with her family outdoors.
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Shauna Goulet
Shauna Goulet BSN, RNC, CLC, CBE, lives in Aroostook County, the Crown of Maine. Shauna earned her ADN in 1992 and then after 8 years of exploring various nursing avenues she began work as a staff nurse in an LDRP unit in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. It was here that she discovered her passion: helping families during pregnancy, delivery, postpartum care, and lactation support. Shauna returned to Maine as an OB traveling nurse after her husband retired from the US Navy. She earned her BSN at the University of Maine at Fort Kent in 2020. She has continuously given back to the region by teaching various classes including American Heart CPR, Basic Life Support and Advanced Life Support in Obstetrics through Maine’s Perinatal Outreach Program and working with the various critical access hospitals to provide trainings to meet their staffing needs. After 21 years as a Labor and Delivery nurse, she established her own business: Mainely Perinatal Education LLC, to teach providers AWHONN Fetal Monitoring and Obstetric Emergency Classes.
Shauna also provides classes in Childbirth Education as well as the Spinning Babies© Parent Education Program for expectant families, all the while working part time as a clinical staff nurse in a regional teaching hospital on the Labor and Delivery unit.
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Dr. Tristian Rowe
Tristian is a naturopathic doctor, advocate and innovator. Located in Midcoast Maine, he works consistently to support individuals and families in root cause solutions to their health. He attended the National University of Natural Medicine for naturopathic medical school and completed clinical rotations in integrative medical clinics throughout the Pacific Northwest.
He has previous experience in startups, nonprofits, and communications. More recently he has supported the Maine Prevention Network in their breastfeeding initiatives across Maine. Along with his passion for healthcare, Tristian has a deep connection to the environment and being outdoors. This has led to a specialization in ecopsychology and ecological systems thinking. Tristian is often out adventuring with his amazing wife and son, truly enjoying this place they call home.
Connect with MSBC
Whether it’s at our monthly meetings and webinars, annual storytelling event, national breastfeeding month, or another event—we would love to see you!