Breastfeeding: A multidisciplinary approach to promote, protect and support all breastfeeding families
August is National Breastfeeding Month, and “Enabling Breastfeeding: Making a Difference for Working Parents” is the theme for World Breastfeeding Week, Aug. 1-7.

Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for most infants and carries huge benefits for mothers as well. Breastfeeding decreases infants’ risk of infectious diseases, mortality and sudden infant death syndrome. Breastfeeding has also been shown to lower maternal postpartum weight and protects against developing breast cancer, ovarian cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke among mothers.
The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the World Health Organization recommend exclusive breastfeeding for six months and continued breastfeeding for one year or longer.
Unfortunately, most breastfeeding families do not reach their breastfeeding goals. About 83% of women in the U.S. start breastfeeding, but only 25% exclusively breastfeed through six months; these rates are even lower among Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and Indigenous women and their families. Why? Well, it sounds simple but oftentimes it’s not as easy as it appears. It takes a village to support a family in their breastfeeding journey and we all need to pitch in to make this work. One of my breastfeeding colleagues and friends phrased this so eloquently in her native language, “harambee,” meaning “all pull together” in Swahili.
So, let’s all pull together to strengthen the support for breastfeeding parents and their infant: family, friends/peers, childcare providers, hospitals, health care professionals, physician offices, emergency preparedness, city and/or county government, faith-based organizations, schools (K-12), colleges, universities, correctional facilities, food pantries, doulas, local health departments, and other community and public/private organizations and places of work.
Together, we can promote, protect and support all breastfeeding families throughout the Wichita area and Kansas.
Lisette T. Jacobson, Ph.D., is an associate professor in the Department of Population Health at KU School of Medicine-Wichita.
Breastfeeding resources
For additional information on breastfeeding resources and support, please visit the website of the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, Inc. For local breastfeeding support in the Wichita area, contact the Wichita Area Breastfeeding Coalition at kris@ks.childcareaware.org, the Wichita Black Breastfeeding Coalition at joyeamarshall13@gmail.com or “like” these organizations on Facebook.
If you or someone you know recently gave birth at Wesley Medical Center or Ascension Via Christi-St. Joseph, you can always follow up with their breastfeeding clinics if you have questions or concerns.
Mother’s Room at KU School of Medicine-Wichita
KU School of Medicine-Wichita has a dedicated space for nursing mothers and received the Gold Level Breastfeeding Employees Support Award from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition. The Mother's Room is adjacent to Roberts Amphitheater and is available for campus employees, students and residents.