Health Equity

August is National Breastfeeding Month. MOMMAS House works with the Breastfeeding Resiliency, Engagement, and Empowerment (BFREE) Team through Northwell Health to develop policies and procedures to help breastfeeding and chestfeeding clients and employees.

The mission of MOMMAS House is to provide housing and support services to homeless young mothers and their babies and/or children. Our program has been developed over the years to specifically focus on the unique needs of pregnant and parenting young mothers. This population of mothers often experiences an unplanned pregnancy. MOMMAS House was a recipient of a 2023-24 Fidelis Care Maternal Health Grant to support our programs.

Through our work with BFREE, we have reinforced our commitment to supporting breastfeeding parents. We have also expanded our understanding of the benefits of breastfeeding for infants and parents. Infants who are breastfed are at lower risk for medical problems such as ear infections, respiratory tract infections, asthma, sudden infant death syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, and leukemia. It also reduces the risk of developing conditions such as obesity and diabetes in adulthood. Breastfeeding can also have neurodevelopmental benefits for infants. Parents who breastfeed recover more quickly from childbirth and are at lower risk for conditions including diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and breast and ovarian cancer.

Breastfeeding also has significant economic benefits. By reducing the risk of developing the previously mentioned medical conditions, the preventive effects of breastfeeding decrease the economic burden on the healthcare system. The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended exclusive breastfeeding for approximately 6 months. followed by continued breastfeeding with complementary foods for at least 2 years and beyond as mutually desired.

Unfortunately, many mothers/parents, particularly low-income and minority women, have difficulty finding support and resources to help them achieve this. Parents may also have difficulty maintaining exclusive breastfeeding while working.

All members of our programs are encouraged to try breastfeeding. Our staff ensures they have the supplies they need, including storage bags, a support pillow, and a breast pump. We maintain an ongoing relationship with Northwell Health by which we refer expectant and new mothers to their Breastfeeding Class and Breastfeeding support groups, at no charge to the mothers. If needed, we will also connect them with a Lactation Specialist.

I think the greatest challenge is that there are single mothers without a partner to share the heavy load of newborn care. Our staff offers new moms hands-on support, especially during the newborn stage. However, moms will naturally feel the responsibility to care for their baby 24/7. They may not rely on staff as much as they may have relied on help from a partner. This can be quite overwhelming.

At MOMMAS House, we have found many new mothers simply get too tired to continue the breastfeeding process, especially if there are initial challenges like sore nipples or difficulty latching. They find it easier and quicker to feed with the bottle. Breastfeeding can present doubts and concerns for the mom, like how much the baby is eating and if they are getting enough milk. For a young mother who may lack confidence, this can be an added stressor of parenthood. Often, an inexperienced mother’s idea of a well-fed baby is one with a full stomach, that sleepy equals content, and that babies gaining a lot of weight is always a healthy step. These are feeding misconceptions we often must try to correct.

MOMMAS House offers services to increase the number of moms who breastfeed. These services include:

• Education, information, and ongoing encouragement.
• Setting expectations and encouraging mothers to share common experiences with breastfeeding to help build confidence around motherhood. We strive to empower new moms and remind them that they can provide everything the baby needs.
• Teaching mothers how to tell if the baby is getting enough milk. We provide tips and tricks for achieving the best feeding outcomes and offer solutions for what to do when issues arise.
• Assistive devices are key. For example, we provide comfortable supports such as chairs, support pillows, and nipple care supplies. Other helpful items are nipple care products, breastfeeding friendly clothing, hands-free pumping bras, and nursing covers.

MOMMAS House is proud to have recently become certified in New York State as a Lactation-Friendly Workplace and Community Space. In recognition of the well-documented health advantages of breastfeeding for infants and the birthing parent, MOMMAS House provides a supportive environment to enable breastfeeding employees to pump milk during work hours. We also provide a supportive environment for our breastfeeding clients, including a company-wide lactation support program. As an organization that supports mothers and babies, we aim to provide a supportive environment to parents who are returning to work after having a baby. These supports include a private space to express milk, visible support and education materials, pumping equipment, milk storage supplies, and staff support.

Learn more about MOMMAS House here.