Idaho Breastfeeding Coalition

10/24/2025

The Idaho Breastfeeding Coalition quarterly meeting is coming up on Thursday 11/6 MST. Watch your email next week for the link to join!

We are excited to have Elan join us to share the role and scope of a doula (birth and postpartum) and the evidence behind doula support.

We will also learn more about how a collaborative relationship between doulas and breastfeeding professionals can improve postpartum outcomes and build community.

Elan Eddington has been a DONA Certified doula for over 10 years, is a mom of 5 and founder of Doulas of Eastern Idaho. She resides in Idaho Falls, Idaho.  
Doulas of Eastern Idaho is an organization of doulas who promote the benefits of doula assisted birthing and postpartum care. They provide a forum of furthering education, networking and idea sharing for the doula community. Doulas in the organization have a standard of practice that creates continuity of care as they positively influence the childbirth experiences for mothers and families.

10/22/2025

The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee is saddened to announce that Dr. Ruth Lawrence, a founding member of the USBC and fierce advocate for mothers and children in the field of Breastfeeding Medicine, has passed away at the age of 101. We extend our heartfelt condolences to her family.

Dr. Lawrence was a pediatrician, educator, mother of nine, and breastfeeding advocate whose groundbreaking research completely transformed the fields of Pediatrics and Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine. Lawrence’s leadership helped establish breastfeeding as a distinguished field of medical practice and research. She was the founding director of the Breastfeeding and Human Lactation Study Center, the first of its kind academic program dedicated to the study of lactation medicine and clinical care. In 1979, she published Breastfeeding: A Guide for the Medical Profession, which became and remains the leading reference for physicians and clinicians on breastfeeding. The textbook is now in its ninth edition and has been translated into multiple languages.

Her vision helped shape the U.S. Breastfeeding Committee and guide our movement towards creating a landscape of breastfeeding support across the United States. In 2014, the Inaugural USBC Legacy Award was established in honor of the lifelong achievements of Dr. Ruth Lawrence and Dr. Audrey Naylor. The award celebrates the achievements of those who make enduring contributions to the First Food field and is presented periodically during the National Breastfeeding Conference & Convening. We are deeply grateful for her innovation, leadership, and steadfast dedication to this field.

Her work inspires us all to remain deeply rooted in our commitment to propelling the science and advocacy of breastfeeding, and her legacy will continue to inspire generations of breastfeeding advocates, clinicians, and researchers to come. We celebrate her life and invite you to join us in honoring her memory by sharing your own tributes and reflections on her extraordinary contributions by utilizing the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Digital Memorial Wall https://bit.ly/4o3UGuo. ABM will be sharing messages of remembrance and appreciation with Dr. Lawrence’s family.

https://bit.ly/3KTN2UO

08/28/2025

Black Breastfeeding Week is in full swing! Celebrating August 25-31 to bring awareness to the unique barriers that Black women and infants face.
Learn more about how you can show support-

08/24/2025

Wrapping up the Military Lactation Celebration today. is another great organization helping to protect breastfeeding.

08/17/2025

We hope you've been enjoying and celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Breastfeeding Week along with

The observance's mission is to decrease inequities and normalize breastfeeding in AANHPI communities by improving breastfeeding education and support practices.

08/08/2025

It's the start of Indigenous Milk Medicine Week hosted by . Visit them to learn more about the online conference they are hosting and celebrate!

08/08/2025

Happy Indigenous Milk Medicine Week! Hosted by the Indigenous Milk Medicine Collective, this observance was created to encourage and uplift the diversity of Native breast/chestfeeding experiences. Learn more about the week and how you can stay engaged: https://bit.ly/3Kh1VNy

08/06/2025

We hope you've been celebrating National WIC Breastfeeding Week hosted by U.S. Department of Agriculture this week!

WIC celebrates right alongside from August 1-7th.

WIC provides breastfeeding support to many of our Idaho families, striving to make sure their babies have access to the best first food for baby - human milk.

08/01/2025

Did you know that creating a sustainable breastfeeding support system is an all-of-society approach? It's about ensuring every mother has the support, environment, and resources to breastfeed successfully, from conception through the first two years of the child's life and beyond. This approach is crucial in the face of widespread unethical marketing by the formula industry. Learn more about the core components of sustainable breastfeeding support systems including policy implementation, health system integration, workplace support, community-based support and environmental sustainability.

For more information:https://worldbreastfeedingweek.org/2025/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Action%20Folder_wbw2025.pdf

08/01/2025

Today marks the start of World Breastfeeding Week!

As a coalition, we work hard towards creating sustainable support systems for families in Idaho. This is something that we have worked towards in the past, presently and will continue to work towards in the future.

We invite all breastfeeding advocates in Idaho to join us on the journey.

07/31/2025

Come join us tomorrow at CDH!

- Anna Winnett and Boise WIC team

Don't forget to celebrate World Breastfeeding Week at Central District Health TOMORROW, August 1st! Join us for giveaways, educational materials, and more! Join us at our Boise office from 9 am to 4 pm! For more information, visit https://cdh.idaho.gov/health/wic/breastfeeding/

07/30/2025

Breastfeeding is one of the most effective ways to improve infant and maternal health outcomes while also addressing broader public health concerns such as early childhood nutrition and chronic disease prevention. Yet too many families face...