Native Breastfeeding Coalition of Wisconsin

The Mission of the Native Breastfeeding Coalition of Wisconsin is to strengthen and encourage the traditional practice of breastfeeding to improve the lives of women, babies, and families, for generations to come. 

The vision is that Native Communities support breastmilk as the first food to nourish our mind, body, and spirit.  

Breastfeeding: The Traditional Way was a 3-year grant funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation with the goal of increasing breastfeeding duration rates in Wisconsin Tribal communities.  Breastfeeding is the single most effective preventative health choice a mother can make to impact a child’s health.  The longer a child is breastfed, the greater positive impact on health.  Increasing duration rates can reduce the impact of health disparities in tribal populations.

Program interventions included:

• provider education
• Indigenous Breastfeeding Counselor training
• community education events
• community/peer support groups
• culturally relevant promotional and educational materials
• policy, system and environment work to reach the goal of increasing duration rates.
• Wisconsin Tribal Breastfeeding Survey
• The program included an advisory council that has been established the Native Breastfeeding Coalition of Wisconsin.