Reaching More Families in Maine
This National Breastfeeding Month, we are highlighting one of the steps that the Maine State Breastfeeding Coalition is taking to strengthen Maine’s network of lactation support providers and increase access to lactation support across the state.
MSBC was awarded a grant earlier this year.
It is a Maine Health Access Foundation (MeHAF) Systems Improvement & Innovation Responsive Grants Program (SIIRG) Grant . It’s purpose is to address inequities in lactation support across Maine.
Despite an 89% breastfeeding initiation rate, access to skilled lactation support in Maine is inconsistent. Families in rural communities, those covered by MaineCare, Native families, LGBTQ+ parents, immigrants, and young parents face the greatest gaps. This isn’t because they don't want to breastfeed, but because the system is still not set up for them.
This planning grant will help MSBC.
The coalition will be able to build a clearer picture of how and why the system is falling short for some Maine families.
We’re looking at various aspects that hinder support for lactation.
We are examining current health insurance reimbursement and credentialing policies, referral pathways and practices, workforce gaps, and other opportunities to make skilled lactation support more accessible for all. By the end of next summer, we plan to have an implementation-ready roadmap to a more equitable lactation support system.
Our Community Advisory Board.
MSBC has formed a 13-person Community Advisory Board to guide the research and planning process. The CAB is comprised of parents with lived experience of barriers to chest/breastfeeding in rural Maine as well as providers. (Many of our CAB members are both)! Throughout the project, CAB members will meet monthly to help shape our research plan and interpret the findings. Ultimately, the CAB will co-design an actionable access improvement plan for our state. A hearty welcome and thank you to these committed individuals!
We’ll be conducting interviews as part of our research.
As a perinatal health researcher and the coordinator for this project, in partnership with the CAB, I will be conducting interviews with lactation professionals, leading the co-construction of a workforce assessment survey, and organizing parent focus groups across the state. I am so looking forward to working with MSBC, our CAB members, and community partners to execute this project and identify real, measurable steps toward increasing access to lactation support in Maine.
We’re especially focused on those in rural areas who face obstacles.
We know chest/breastfeeding gives babies a strong start and benefits parents, too. Maine families deserve a robust lactation support landscape that is easy to navigate and responsive to a diverse range of needs. This is especially true for those in rural areas and facing other barriers to chest/breastfeeding.
With support from MeHAF and the guidance of our new Community Advisory Board, we will be able to construct a set of evidence-based recommendations and next steps toward achieving that reality.