Nourishing Our Neighborhoods: A Community Initiative for Breastfeeding-Friendly Businesses

We are thrilled to announce that Brittany Frishman has been awarded a $2,000 grant from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition Inc. This incredible achievement will significantly boost breastfeeding initiatives within our counties by assisting local businesses in providing breastfeeding mothers with much-needed support and supplies.

In our conversations with mothers, we've uncovered a heartbreaking trend: the three-month postpartum mark is where many women begin to struggle most with breastfeeding. Sadly, this is often the point at which they return to work, facing a world that isn't always ready to support them. These mothers face a myriad of challenges, the most common being a lack of support from their workplaces.

Imagine the fear of asking for a simple pumping break, only to be met with judgment or, worse, retaliation. Many women are terrified of being seen as unproductive or unprofessional, and the anxiety they face can be overwhelming. Even more disheartening is that many workplaces lack basic accommodations—a private, clean space to pump or a lactation policy that safeguards their rights.

This grant from the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition will be a game-changer. With it, we will provide vital education and outreach to businesses, helping them create and implement lactation policies that protect and empower breastfeeding mothers. We will discuss a mother's right to pump, ensuring they feel supported and valued, and we will work closely with these businesses to complete the checklist provided by the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition, enabling them to achieve the prestigious Gold Employee Breastfeeding Award.

As a token of our commitment, we will gift a small breastfeeding cart to participating businesses. This cart will be stocked with breastfeeding education materials, a list of local resources, and essential items like breastmilk storage bags, storage guidelines, nipple pads, and more. These seemingly small gestures can make an enormous difference in the lives of breastfeeding mothers, and we are incredibly excited to see the positive impact this grant will have on our communities.

We can't wait to see the changes it will bring and how it will empower our communities to support breastfeeding mothers meaningfully. Our entire coalition is committed to making our country where every mother feels supported, valued, and empowered on their breastfeeding journey.

To learn more about how your organization can support breastfeeding, read what the Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition has compiled for businesses here: https://ksbreastfeeding.org/public-breastfeeding-in-kansas/