Communities

The CBC Communities Committee was established in response to the Surgeon General’s Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding.  “Everyone can help make breastfeeding easier” is the central tenet of this landmark 2011 document, and specific actions for communities are included, as follows:

  • Strengthen programs that provide mother-to-mother support and peer counseling.

  • Use community-based organizations to promote and support breastfeeding.

  • Create a national campaign to promote breastfeeding.

  • Ensure that the marketing of infant formula is conducted in a way that minimizes its negative impacts on exclusive breastfeeding.​​

Community Research

Studies document that fathers are an important influence on breastfeeding initiation and duration.  Learning more about what Connecticut fathers know and feel about breastfeeding has been a priority for the Communities Committee.  

​This information can potentially be useful to community-based organizations to help fathers embrace breastfeeding as a means of ensuring long term health benefits for their families and to help them support their breastfeeding partners.

To that end, Dr. Michele Vancour, a Southern Connecticut State University professor and current CBC Chair, procured a Connecticut State University grant to support focus groups to explore and document the knowledge and attitudes of men regarding breastfeeding.

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Current Community Work

Recently, we partnered with Thames Valley Council for Community Action (TVCCA).
By pooling our efforts in advocacy, promoting local lactation support programs, resources to breastfeeding education and recruiting businesses to pledge themselves as breastfeeding friendly, we hope to make the entire New London County a breastfeeding friendly community.

Summary of Research Findings:

Most men :
  • Perceived breastfeeding to be the normal and best way to feed a baby, and were quite knowledgeable about the benefits of breast milk

  • Believed that the infant feeding method decision belonged to mothers

  • Were uncomfortable with breastfeeding in public but felt that a supportive culture should exist for moms to feel comfortable breastfeeding in public 

  • Believed that breastfeeding is difficult at first but completely worth it

While there were some misconceptions about breastfeeding, men admire their breastfeeding partners and feel that more education and information are needed to “normalize” breastfeeding.   A social marketing campaign and an educational intervention for men are among the ideas that have been discussed to address these findings. ​