Join us for our IBC meeting on May 16th from 9 am to noon.  All are welcome, you do not need to be a member to attend.  Come and learn more about our coalition and meet other breastfeeding advocates.  The cost is $20 and includes lunch.  Register on the Iowa Health Des Moines website.

The Business Case for Breastfeeding is part of a nationwide emphasis aimed at encouraging women to breastfeed their infants for a longer duration after they return to work.  The state of Iowa was one of 10 states selected in 2009 to receive funding to promote breastfeeding in the workplace. The Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition used part of that funding to provide 9 businesses throughout the state $500 grants to create or improve lactation rooms at their workplace.

Now that the grant is completed, the participating businesses have shared how it has impacted breastfeeding promotion. Visit the Business Case for Breastfeeding page to read their responses.

 The Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa is in urgent need of milk donors to meet the increased demand for donor human milk.

Healthy, lactating mothers are asked to consider donating their extra milk. Milk donors are not on medication with a few exceptions, are willing to be screened for health and lifestyle behaviors and communicable diseases and can deliver their milk to the milk bank or one of its 13 milk collection depots in Iowa.

Your donations help babies in the hospital and at home thrive and grow.

Please call the Mother’s Milk Bank of Iowa today.
877-891-5347, 319-384-9929 (Ann Jurgensen) or
319-356-2652 (Jean Drulis).

ann-jurgensen@uiowa.edu

jean-drulis@uiowa.edu

http://www.uihealthcare.org/milkbank/

Download the press release here.

Ginna Wall, MN, IBCLC, has updated her report summarizing the current research on the benefits of breastfeeding.  The summary focuses on 3 areas:  Effects on the Infant, Maternal Effects, and Societal Effects.  The most recent report (updated in September 2011) is now posted on the Providers page.

The Iowa Breastfeeding Coalition has updated the Breastfeeding Counseling Guides and they are now available to download and print.  These one-page (front and back) guides are designed for health care professionals to use when they are counseling breastfeeding women.  There are 6 guides available: prenatal, 1 week, 2 weeks, 4 months, 6 months, and 9 months.  All are available free of charge on the Providers page.