Boston Breastfeeding Coalition Newsletter
May 2022
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"I'm a believer in the power of knowledge and the ferocity of beauty, so from my point of view, your life is already artful - waiting, just waiting for you to make it art." - Toni Morrison: novelist, Presidential Medal of Freedom and Nobel Prize for Literature recipient
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Get to Know the 2022 ROSE Breastfeeding Scholar Cohort!
Please join us in welcoming the 2022 ROSE Breastfeeding Scholars! These Scholars applied and were selected by a community-led committee to join this year’s scholar cohort. They have just completed their 3 day training with ROSE and the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition. Welcome to the Village!
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"Hello! I am Adora Gaul, I am Haitian American born and raised in Egleston Square, Roxbury. I have a passion for all things conception, pregnancy, birth, postpartum and breastfeeding. I personally breastfed my 3 children a combined total of 7 years. I am developing my doula business while on the path to becoming a midwife. I come with compassion and judgement free encouragement to mothers looking to triumph during the breastfeeding period. I believe that with enough support all mothers and their children can blossom during postpartum and beyond."
Fun Fact: I have skydived 5 times.
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"I am honored to be a mother of 2 daughters and I am eager to support other women and children in their breastfeeding journeys!! I remember how difficult it was to learn how to nurse, but I also recall the sweet joy of finally clicking into gear with my daughters. The joy and peace nursing gave me is indescribable. I hope to support those in need of encouragement in this lovely walk of bonding with their own mother-self and with their blessed, blessed babies."
Fun Fact: I enjoy quilting.
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"¡Hola! I am Carla Mendoza, a proud Latina wombman! My family is from El Salvador and I grew up in East Boston, MA. I am the second oldest of six, three sisters and two brothers. I am currently a family liaison/advocate for families at an elementary school in East Boston. My doula journey began in 2018 and since then I have been digging deep into birth work. I love to learn, explore and expand on my knowledge and I am also preparing myself for when I am called to have my own child. I have been very blessed to be a part of births and guide other wombman on their motherhood journeys. My goal is to connect with wombman from all walks of life to help guide one another and to learn from each other and build community."
Fun Fact: I love to make my own herbal soap from herbs I grow in my own garden.
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"I am a mother of two girls and an aspiring postpartum doula committed to help moms like their journey to motherhood."
Fun Fact: Not exactly a fun point but I can fluently speak Hindi and Punjabi and also can write it well.
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"Hello! My name is Corinne Kielbasa and I am the proud mom to three girls, who were all breastfed until almost 2 years old each. I am the Family Engagement Specialist at the Kennedy Center in Charlestown, MA and I develop programming for families with children ages 0 to 8 years old. I have always wanted to offer more support to our prenatal and new moms, especially breastfeeding support and am excited to have the opportunity with the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition!"
Fun Fact: I am a former teacher of physics and math.
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Francisca is the proud mother of 3 children. She has committed her joy and passion to bettering her community through various creative outlets - dance, culinary arts, and gardening.
Fun Fact: I created a dance video game several years ago.
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"Hi. I'm a mom of 3 beautiful children. I love to explore new adventures. I'm a mother, A daughter, a sister, an Aunt and a friend who like to help others Just like me."
Fun Fact: I always like to be myself around others.
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Jenna is a birth and postpartum doula with a background in neuroscience and nursing. She is a former nanny and biotech Laboratory Manager. Jenna finds the most joy in the role of Doula where she can provide comfort, guidance, and empathy to families.
Fun Fact: Jenna was a professional opera singer as a child and published an album of children’s songs dedicated to all the families she has worked with.
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Jisca is a mom to 5 beautiful babies. She comes from a line of women who uplift and empower others. She has served in government for over a decade and really enjoys building community.
Fun Fact: I am obsessed with breastfeeding and looking forward to making this a full time career.
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"Hi My name is Katherine and I am a breastfeeding NICU mommy. I took interest in becoming a lactation consultant because I want to help other NICU moms and all moms. I have two beautiful girls, one who is 5 and my newest who is 5 months old. I currently stay at home to raise my girls but have come to realize that I just to be able to help moms that are in a similar situation as I was in."
Fun Fact: I am bilingual and love to cook.
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"Hi, my name is Lorenis Liriano. I am bilingual (Spanish). I have my Bachelors in Human Services. I worked primarily with low income single mothers in shelter. I myself am a mother of 3 children. I struggled with breast feeding with my first two children and I have high hopes to encourage, support, and educate other mamas through their breast feeding journey."
Fun Fact: I am currently expecting.
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Ketura'h Edwards-Robinson |
"Nurse Practitioner primarily in Women's Health for almost 10 years. Has worked as a community birth doula serving the greater Boston area for the past two years. Roxbury native who currently lives south of Boston with my husband and dog-child, Khloe. I have the pleasure of being a bonus mom to two amazing sons. I love community and women's health and it has always been my dream to care for the women of Boston."
Fun Fact: I do not know how to ride a bicycle. There is still time to learn!
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"I am a stay at home mom of 3 (all breast fed), a homeschooler, entrepreneur and wife. Support, validation, encouragement and education while breastfeeding are essential. My goal is to assist moms in shaping a positive and healthy breastfeeding experience."
Fun Fact: The beach is my happy place.
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"I was born and raised in Boston, and am a proud mom of two rambunctious boys who love to spend their time exploring the waterfront. Being the the first in my family to exclusively breastfeed, I am forever grateful to the breastfeeding counselors who encouraged and supported me every step of the way! An advocate for social emotional health/learning, my special interests include researching the impact of child trauma, building partnerships between home and school, and providing families with critical resources."
Fun Fact: Books are the greatest of companions!
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"Hello all, my name is Sabie and I am extremely happy that I can be a part of this program. I’ve always been passionate about maternal health and always wanted to be a source of guidance in anyway possible. I am pleased to gain the knowledge to educate!"
Fun Fact: I speak fluent Haitian Creole.
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"I am a mother of 4 beautiful children (1 boy and 3 girls, ages 2-11). I'm very passionate about breastfeeding as well as postpartum support. I have worked with a few mothers and have helped to support them through pregnancy as well as postpartum. Breastfeeding is not as easy as it seems and I'm always willing to support a mother in her journey. I'm here to help serve the community and look forward to helping."
Fun Fact: I'm easy to talk to and get along with. I have a bubble personality and am open minded.
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Thank you to Boston Breastfeeding Coalition Members Cynthia Brown and Tiffany Vassell for representing the Coalition during the March of Dimes' Annual March for Babies earlier this month! We appreciate your time and support in sharing resources and ways to connect with families.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month |
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Children's Mental Health Week 2022 |
It’s a week that shines a national spotlight on the importance of caring for every child’s mental health and reinforces that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development. |
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The Importance of Positive Childhood Experiences |
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Research has shown that Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) can have profound negative effects on mental health and development far into adulthood. However, recent research shows that Positive Childhood Experiences (PCEs) can counteract the effects of ACEs and also have a cumulative effect - the more PCEs, the stronger a foundation we can build for our youth!
We can all contribute to the creation of positive environments through trust and security, the formation of opportunities for community engagement, ensuring children feel supported by the adults in their neighborhood, school, and places of gathering or worship.
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Mental Health Month Events and Resources and More! |
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Resources from Embrace Race:
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The Department of Transitional Assistance (DTA) has partnered with Mass Cultural Council to offer free or discounted admissions to many of the Commonwealth's museums and cultural institutions through the EBT Card to Culture Program. Residents who receive DTA benefits can get discounted admission by showing their EBT card. Through 2022, these organizations are also accepting P-EBT cards. This program includes 127 discounted or free locations in Greater Boston, such harbor tours, music lessons, museum tickets, concerts, etc. Learn more here!
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Saturday, June 11th, 11:00am - 12:00pm EST
Raising a Reader Massachusetts is celebrating author/illustrator Maurice Sendak’s birthday and his classic book, Where the Wild Things Are, with a fun-filled virtual storytime party! Come as you are or get silly with a costume, pajamas, crazy hair, or an accessory that makes you feel like King Max. Registration for this event is required, please register here.
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This Mental Health Month we would like to highlight some warm and hotlines that may be useful for you or someone you know when you may need someone to speak with.
- 1-833-9-HELP4MOMS (1-833-943-5746)
Crisis Text Line (24/7, Spanish-language):
- text HOLA to 741741 or text 442-AYUDAME in Whatsapp
- 617-742-4911
- 800-832-1901
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Employment Opportunities at Rosie's Place
Rosie's Place is a multi-service community center that offers a variety of services, including shelter and meals, legal assistance, community outreach, ESOL classes, and more. Open positions include Volunteer Services Associate and Essential Services Worker.
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Parent Leaders/Innovators will bring the voice of those with lived child welfare experience into program planning and implementation to improve outcomes for the children and families engaged in the Safe Babies Court TeamTM (SBCT) approach. Two Parent Leader/Innovators will be chosen as consultants. Parent Leaders will engage in up to 10 hours per week of consulting and will be compensated at $35/hour. If you are a parent with lived-experience in child welfare and are interested in being a parent leader, please complete the online form linked below.
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There is a variety of volunteering opportunities at Rosie's Place! You can help out in the food kitchen, teach a class, high school students can learn about social justice issues while earning community service hours, and you can coordinate a drive for much-needed items!
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Our support groups are still meeting, just virtually! We are looking for more volunteers to help us support mothers. Any direct lactation mentoring done during virtual support groups can count towards IBCLC hours.
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TBK empowers children, youth, the elderly and families to take charge of their health and well-being through hands-on cooking classes. These classes are led by professional chefs and teach students to create cost-effective meals at home with kitchen safety and nutrition lessons. The program also works closely with partners to build culturally aware curriculums, respecting the diversity of our foods while teaching youth to cook healthier versions of ethnic dishes. If you are interested in TBK classes for your group or organization, please email Haley House's Program Director Jay Vilar, to get started: jvilar@haleyhouse.org and if you are interested in volunteering with Haley House, you can click here to learn more.
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We love staying up-to-date with your news! If you want us to share out updates, events, flyers, webinars, or job opportunities, let us know. You can email us at bostonbreastfeeding@bmc.org or tag @bostonbreastfeeding on relevant Facebook posts and we can re-share on social media or add to our Coalition Newsletters.
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Educational Materials, Resources, and Webinars |
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Through our Mississippi CHAMPS program, CHEER worked with the Bower Foundation, Inspire Health, and the University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC), to script and create the Breastfeeding | Human Medicine IPE in 2020. Now, CHEER has received a grant to distribute the IPE across disciplines, nationally and globally! The project will leverage existing partnerships and collaborations to scale up medical and professional breastfeeding education and promote a culture of support for people who choose to breastfeed.
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Breastfeeding and Mental Health Pocket Guide
Mental health providers should know the positive correlation between breastfeeding and mental health and the negative correlation between weaning and mental health and speak to patients about the importance of breastfeeding for positive mental health outcomes. Download the Breastfeeding and Mental Health Guidance Pocket Guide at mibreastfeeding.org/tools under the “Mental Health” tab.
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This guide lists programs and organizations that provide free diapers to community members with updated contact information and eligibility requirements. The guide includes locations for Greater Boston, Northeastern Massachusetts, and Southeastern Massachusetts.
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Regularly updated with descriptions, contact info, locations, hours, and website links for important basic family needs.
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Resources and tools to help institutions, community organizations, schools, and worksites to improve consistency and collaborations with other organizations to ensure a seamless support system for lactation.
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The Blueprint, developed with a public health lens, aims to increase local capacity to implement community-driven approaches to support chest/breastfeeding, centered on the needs of populations disproportionately impacted by structural barriers that leads to low rates of breastfeeding.
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Are you interested in receiving this newsletter in Spanish?
Le interesaría recibir este boletín en español?
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Por favor déjenos saber si le interesaría recibir una versión de este boletín en español!
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Are you a Breastfeeding Scholar who is looking to connect with other Scholars?
Join the private Facebook Group just for Breastfeeding Scholars - a centralized location to stay updated on CERP offerings, scholarship opportunities, network with peers, and share and find resources.
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Vital Village Network's Boston Breastfeeding Coalition is committed to improving access to breastfeeding support for every parent in Boston, promoting connections between individuals and organizations that engage in breastfeeding advocacy, and supporting pathways for professional lactation counselors. |
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