Breastfeeding: Strategies and Resources
Increase Access to Breastfeeding Friendly Environments
One of the most highly effective preventive measures a mother can take to protect the health of her infant is to breastfeed. Support for breastfeeding is needed in many different arenas including hospitals and birth centers, worksites, and communities.
Practices supportive of breastfeeding in birthing facilities
Breastfeeding support in birthing facilities are those maternity care practices that have been shown to increase breastfeeding among mothers who choose to breastfeed.
Program Highlights
- State Health Department Works to Improve Maternity Care Practices in Hawaii Cdc-pdf[PDF-421KB]
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CDC Study Describes the Hawaii State Health Department’s Role in Supporting Breastfeeding Cdc-pdf[PDF-561KB]
This fact sheet outlines key activities and findings from the Baby-Friendly Hawaii Project. CDC grantees and breastfeeding practitioners can use this document to inform future planning at the state and federal levels on approaches that improve breastfeeding through maternity care practices. - Washington Hospitals and Birthing Centers Certified Breastfeeding Friendly Cdc-pdf[PDF-345KB]
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New York: An online training course boosts hospital-based promotion of breastfeeding Cdc-pdf[PDF–1MB]
This initiative used an online training course to support hospital efforts to increase exclusive breastfeeding rates among new mothers. -
Maternity Care Practices Cdc-pdf[PDF–187KB]
Maternity care practices related to breastfeeding take place during the intra-partum hospital stay, which includes immediate prenatal care, care during labor and birthing, and postpartum care.
Intervention Examples
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Baby-Friendly Hospital InitiativeExternal [PDF–200KB]External
This initiative at Boston Medical Center was designed to implement hospital policies and procedures that support optimal breastfeeding practices. -
The Connecticut Breastfeeding InitiativeExternal [PDF–200KB]External
This initiative was designed to promote practices in maternity facilities that support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.
Provide access to professional and peer support for breastfeeding
The goal of professional or peer support is to encourage and support pregnant and breastfeeding women to initiate and continue to breastfeed by increasing access to lactation resources, peer counselors and skilled professionals within the communities where they live.
Resources
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State Health Departments Provide Community-Based Breastfeeding Support Cdc-pdf[PDF-350KB]
This fact sheet outlines program successes and lessons learned from the CDC Breastfeeding Supplement grant. CDC grantees and breastfeeding practitioners can use this document when implementing community-based breastfeeding programs or strategies. -
CDC Guide to Strategies to Support Breastfeeding Mothers and Babies
This guide provides state and local community members information to choose the breastfeeding intervention strategy that best meets their needs.
Program Highlights
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Breastfeeding Peer and Professional Support Highlights Cdc-pdf[PDF-1.66MB]
These highlights focus on state health departments’ coordinated efforts to implement strategies that increase access to breastfeeding support in communities.
Ensure workplace compliance with federal lactation accommodation law
Ensuring workplace compliance with federal lactation accommodation law Cdc-pdf[PDF–87KB]External is part of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (“Affordable Care Act”).
Program Highlights
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Minnesota Breastfeeding-Friendly Health Departments Program (BDFD)
The program provides a 10-step process and toolkit for supporting breastfeeding practices at local public health agencies and tribal health boards. -
Support for Breastfeeding in the Workplace Cdc-pdf[PDF–180KB]
Support for breastfeeding in the workplace includes several types of employee benefits and services, such as developing corporate policies to support breastfeeding women, educating all employees about workplace support for breastfeeding, and providing time and designated private space that is not a bathroom for breastfeeding or expressing milk. - South Carolina: Healthy Carolina supports breastfeeding as best for babies and moms Cdc-pdf[PDF–368KB]
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Texas Mother-Friendly Worksite Program (MFWP)External
This program recognizes worksites that comply with its criteria for being “Mother-Friendly,” including having a written and communicated policy that provides space for breast milk expression in the worksite, flexible work schedules for breastfeeding mothers, access to clean running water to wash hands and clean equipment, and access to hygienic breast milk storage options.
General Breastfeeding Resources
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Wisconsin Breastfeeding-Friendly Childcare Provider Program
The program uses Wisconsin’s Ten Steps to Breastfeeding Friendly Childcare Centers to help childcare centers remove barriers for breastfeeding mothers.
Links to non-federal government organizations found in this document are provided solely as a service to the reader. These links do not constitute an endorsement of these organizations or their programs by CDC or the federal government, and none should be inferred. CDC is not responsible for the content of the individual organization sites listed on this website.
