To promote breastfeeding in Marin County, support activities that make it the norm, decrease barriers, and increase acceptance within families and the community.
Marin Breastfeeding Coalition Program Information
The Marin Breastfeeding Coalition recognizes breastfeeding as the ideal nutrition for infants. Healthy People 2020 aims to increase breastfeeding rates to 82% ever-breastfed, 61% at 6 months, and 34% at 1 year. Currently, 75% of babies in the U.S. are initially breastfed, but rates fall to 43% at 6 months and 22% by 12 months. In Marin County only 42% of babies were breastfed at six months and 19% at eleven months. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months and continuation of breastfeeding with appropriate supplementation of food for the first year and beyond as long as mutually desired by mother and child. The Healthy People 2020 exclusive breastfeeding goals are set for 44% at 3 months and 24% at 6 months. In addition, the Healthy People 2020 goals call for increasing the percentage of Baby Friendly Hospitals to 8% and for increasing the proportion of U.S. workplaces that accommodate working mothers to express milk or breastfeed their infants during the workday from 25% to 38%. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be fed only breastmilk for the first 6 months of life, but only 13% of U.S. babies meet this breastfeeding standard. Through breastfeeding promotion, advocacy, education, and support, the Marin Breastfeeding Coalition is working to achieve the goals set by Healthy People 2020 and American Academy of Pediatrics.
Marin Breastfeeding Coalition meets every other month on a Monday from 11:30-1:30pm at 899 Northgate, 4th floor conference room. Please call Marin Breastfeeding Coalition Coordinator Alex Porrata at (415) 663-8335 for meeting dates. Our current members include lactation consultants, representative of WIC, Marin General Hospital, Kaiser Permanente, Marin Community Clinic, Marin County HHS, community activists, Head Start, Family Service Agency, First 5 Marin, local prenatal educators, and representatives from related county agencies.
