Breast/Chestfeeding Resources

The Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride (BHP) program is an evidence-based, person-centered, peer support counseling program. It is a community health worker-led intervention seeking to increase breastfeeding initiation, duration, and exclusivity among low-income, minority women. Services are provided in English and Spanish.

Phone: 860-527-0856

Email: info@hispanichealthcouncil.org

The mission of Breastfeeding USA is to provide evidence-based support for breastfeeding wherever you may be in your breastfeeding journey. Breastfeeding USA has multiple monthly meetings, an active Facebook group, and volunteer breastfeeding counselors available to chat via phone or email. Meetings are an excellent way to receive in-person support and to connect with other breastfeeding mothers. The online and phone supports are available whenever you may need them.

The Cheshire Fitness Zone feeding team, comprised of Speech Language Pathologists and Occupational Therapists, applies principles from advanced training (Sequential-Oral-Sensory “SOS,” Beckman Oral Motor, etc) to evaluate and treat patients with feeding concerns. They work with toddlers, children, and adolescents who experience difficulty with acceptance of new foods and textures, commonly referred to as “Problem Feeders;” patients who have feeding disorders, known as dysphagia; as well as mothers with difficulty breastfeeding. They also have therapists who specialize in nursing.

Phone: 203-250-9663

Since 2001, the Connecticut Breastfeeding Coalition (CBC) has been working across the state to protect, promote, and support breastfeeding as the norm for infant and child feeding in Connecticut. The CBC includes both organizations and individuals from all walks of life. We partner on projects that support best practices in health care, worksites, child care, and campuses, as well as connecting families directly to lactation support. Join today for free!

Phone: 203-699-6455

The Doulas 4 Connecticut Coalition is a collaborative of doulas, community voices, advocates, community organizations, and allies. This is a space for individuals to collaborate on policy development, organizing collective power, community and doula-led advocacy, maternal health equity research, and community learning to advance equitable access to doula care in CT.

The Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond (ENT) Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates work to reduce the risk of undesirable pregnancy and birth outcomes, promote perinatal wellness for parents and children, and support breastfeeding advocacy for all families, while also working to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in infant and maternal health within undervalued, underrepresented and historically excluded communities. They are founding members of the Doulas4CT Coalition, dedicated to garnering system support through policy development, utilizing collective power, and building community learning to achieve equitable access to doula care in CT. They accept Private Pay clients, and have also partnered with several local, state, and national organizations to provide free virtual or in-person Doula services across the state of Connecticut to those who qualify.

ENT is committed to creating a network of Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates that is anti-racist and liberation forward, and work towards this by providing Racial Liberation Trainings for Perinatal Professionals and anyone working with families during pregnancy, as well as through several intentional team agendas within their collective. ENT provides Childbirth Education classes, Breastfeeding classes, and several Support Groups for pregnant and postpartum families. ENT is the largest Black-owned Doula Training Organization and Collective of Doulas in New England.

Email: https://earthsnaturaltouch.com/contact-us

The Earth’s Natural Touch: Birth Care & Beyond (ENT) Doulas and Perinatal Health Advocates including their team of Certified Lactation Counselors (CLCs) provide counseling and management support to families who are exploring the option of breastfeeding, or who have questions or problems during the course of lactation. They work to prevent and solve breastfeeding problems, make appropriate recommendations and referrals, and provide a peer support space for Black and Brown families of the African Diaspora to meet their breastfeeding goals with culturally aligned support.

No matter where you are in the world, or where you are in your breastfeeding journey, feel free to join them at their weekly Mocha Milkshake Café, a Virtual Breastfeeding Support Group. This is a safe, supportive space to learn, share, and decompress with other parents and birth and lactation professionals.

Email: MochaMilkshakeCafe@gmail.com

Empowered Beginning Doulas is a group of doulas, childbirth educators, lactation counselors, and parenting coaches who believe in the power of community and partnership. They support unlimited phone access to your doula, scheduled in-person visits, monthly group Zoom calls, and a weekly in-person postpartum group.

Phone: 860-638-9133

Email: ashley@ebdoulas.com

La Leche League of Connecticut is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to helping families provide human milk for their babies, through peer-to-peer support, encouragement, information, and education. Volunteer Leaders provide monthly support meetings throughout the state. The mission of La Leche League International is to help families reach their own personal breastfeeding goals and to promote a better community understanding of breastfeeding as an important element in the healthy development of the baby, parents, and community.

Helpline: 860-222-0990

Email: help@LLLct.org

Milkin’ Melanin Lactation Services provides prenatal breastfeeding classes and postpartum consults to families of color on Medicaid and/or WIC throughout the state of Connecticut through grant funding.

Phone: 203-805-8873

Email: support@milkinmelanin.com

Nessel is focused on building beautiful design solutions that adapt to client needs, shaped by Principles of Universal Design, with a sharp focus on bodily experience, health and inclusion, and scale and access. Products include the Nessel Lactation Station, Nessel Lactation Pods, and portable sinks.

Phone: 203-529-7454

Email: hello@nessel.com

When utilizing New Birth Journey services, you get a doula who will go on your birthing/postpartum journey with you. Together, you and New Birth Journey will devise a plan that works best for you and how you need to be supported! Throughout the journey that you and New Birth Journey will embark on together, it is important that the New Birth Journey doula gives you tools to feel confident about the birth and postpartum support provided. The New Birth Journey doula will also provide tidbits about breast/chestfeeding to help amplify your voice for you to be heard and understood. New Birth Journey assists parents and future parents with birth, aftercare, and lactation education and support.

Email: newbirthjourney24@gmail.com

The New Haven Breast/Chestfeeding Task Force is a city-level task force working to build partnerships to support breast/chestfeeding work in New Haven, address racial/ethnic and income disparities in breast/chestfeeding services and rates, and advocate for policies and collaborate on initiatives that encourage and support people to meet their breast/chestfeeding goals. We are convened by the Community Alliance for Research & Engagement (CARE) and New Haven Healthy Start. We meet on the 3rd Friday of each month from 2-3pm EST via Zoom. To attend, please email the New Haven Breastfeeding Task Force at nhvbftaskforce@gmail.com.

New Haven Healthy Start is a federally-funded urban health initiative to reduce infant mortality and eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in birth outcomes. The program provides support to pregnant women, children up to age 18 months, and the fathers of those children. Services include but are not limited to outreach, counseling, and case management. Eligible moms enrolled in Healthy Start get access to doula and lactation services with Earth’s Natural Touch Doulas. The program is part of a national network of 101 Healthy Start programs in 37 states and funded by a federal grant (H49MC00095) from the Department of Health and Human Services, Health Resources and Services Administration, Maternal and Child Health Bureau, Division of Perinatal Health Systems.

Phone: 203-777-2386

Email: contactus@cfgnh.orgcontactus@cfgnh.org

Paving the Way: Diversity in Lactation provides support and guidance for aspiring International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) of color and other marginalized groups who reside in Connecticut.

Phone: 929-220-6785

Email: admin@diversityinlactation.org

Dr. Eric Baum - Pediatric Otolaryngology

Phone: 203-245-0496

PSI Volunteer Coordinators provide support and resources to pregnant, birthing, and postpartum help seekers, such as psychotherapy and support groups. PSI Coordinators are accessed through the PSI Helpline. PSI Connecticut is a state chapter organization of Postpartum Support International whose mission is to raise awareness about the prevention and treatment of mental illness related to childbearing. PSI offers free support, resources, and programs for birthing people, such as over 30 online support groups each week. PSI offers Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder trainings for those providing support, treatment, and care to birthing people experiencing perinatal mental health complications.

Helpline: 1-800-944-4773

Text in English: 800-944-4773

Text en Español: 971-203-7773

Additional Websites: www.postpartum.net, www.psictchapter.com

Real Dads Forever creates age-appropriate, gender-specific, and culturally-responsive fatherhood development strategies to enhance the emotional, physical, social, and spiritual relationship between children and their fathers and family men. Real Dads Forever has worked with diverse populations of men from urban environments, suburban towns, and rural areas, and from many different racial and ethnic backgrounds. Real Dads Forever facilitates professional development and staff training for agencies and schools, and investigates successful methods to engage and include fathers as essential partners and family assets around prenatal care, cognitive stimulation, child development, and academic success.

Phone: 860-643-7364

Email: info@realdadsforever.org

Connecticut women who meet income guidelines and need help providing their children with nutrient-rich foods can receive support through Yale New Haven Hospital’s special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC), which has been in operation for 40 years.

Phone: 203-688-5150 (York Street) or 203-789-3563 (St. Raphael Campus)

Yale New Haven Health offers a variety of in-person classes, live webinars, and online e-classes. Maternity experts support you through pregnancy and beyond with educational resources, childbirth and infant care classes, breastfeeding, and more.

Phone: 1-888-700-6543

Yale New Haven Children's Hospital offers a variety of programs in support of community and patient needs. The programs include the following: Books for Babies, Bright Beginnings Family Read, Caring Parents Make Healthy Families, Friends of the Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Nurturing Connections, Nurturing Families Home Visiting, Nurturing Families Network at Yale New Haven Children’s Hospital, Nurturing Parent Group, and Reach Out & Read.

Phone: 203-688-8165

Yale New Haven Health offers support for you and your baby throughout your pregnancy and beyond, including a Maternal Wellness Program, a Breastfeeding Mother's Support Group, Healthy Start, the New Haven WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program, and Project MotherCare.