Contacts:           

Susie McCulloch, BA, IBCLC
Email: susie.mcculloch@sonoma-county.org
Phone: (707) 565-6584

Please email susie.mcculloch@sonoma-county.org for the virtual meeting information.

Recent Breastfeeding Coalition Activities:

• Developed lactation course for Family Practice residents
• Developed interagency communication tool for hospitals, WIC and outpatient IBCLCs
• Promoting Baby Behaviors through community education forums
• Sponsored the formation of the MotherBaby Collaborative and the Native Breastfeeding Council
• Sonoma County Board of Supervisors recognizes local breastfeeding champions with a proclamation acknowledging World Breastfeeding Week.  Maternal Child Adolescent Health Director and the Sonoma County Health Officer also announce Sonoma County WIC’s USDA Gold Premiere Award for Breastfeeding Support.  Watch the video below.

Recent MotherBaby Collaborative Activities:

• Earned media coverage for optimal infant feeding efforts: Countywide effort launched to boost breastfeeding (July 31, Press Democrat); Sonoma County’s Five Delivery Hospitals Collaborate to Support Breastfeeding  (August 2, KRCB-FM)
• July 2013:  “Community Transformation in Action: Investing in Healthy Babies” event. (Read more here).
• June 2013:  “Baby-Friendly: Hot Topics, Cool Answers” RN CEU training with Karen Peters
• October 2012: Center for Disease Control Community Transformation Grant award to sponsor Sonoma County’s five birthing hospitals in ensuring optimal infant nutrition
• Piloted and now expanded a WIC breastpump project with First 5 support
• Facilitated a dialog between the milk bank and local hospitals to ensure NICU babies receive breastmilk
• Encouraged delivery hospitals to develop infant feeding policies that align with Model Hospital policies
• Supported the revision of hypoglycemia protocols to encourage breastfeeding before formula

Recent Native Breastfeeding Council Activities:

• Designed and built designated lactation room for staff and clients of SCIHP
• Incorporated infant feeding tool into electronic health assessment template
• Hosting 3nd annual Wellness Walk/Run August 4th at Sonoma County Indian Health Project, Inc.
• Family Fun Night community event attended by 140 people
• Brought breastfeeding tent to multiple community events
• Obtained domain name and developed website: http://www.nativebreastfeeding.org/

Library Activities:

• Developed and distributed bookmarks that promote breastfeeding duration:

Wondermoms Bookmark- English

Wondermoms Bookmark- Spanish

Children Who Were Breastfed- English

Children Who Were Breastfed- Spanish

• Developed a Lego display for libraries demonstrating the ingredients found only in human milk.
• Donated bilingual Mama’s Milk books to local libraries.
• Working with area librarians to identify breastfeeding books, resources and literature to add to their current selection.

World Breastfeeding Week 2013

• Received a Board of Supervisors Proclamation declaring August World Breastfeeding Week, which was presented at the Community Transformation in Action: Investing in Healthy Babies event.