Help Breastfeeding Work for ALL Columbia Greene
Donation protected
Details are below, but first, I want to share my story--
I don't usually like talk about myself on social media, but please bear with me here, because this is personal for all of us, and I need you to understand. Do you remember your first days and weeks of nursing a newborn? Did you need any help? Here’s what I remember: So there I was, in my postpartum haze, I remember clear as day what it felt like to lie there, holding a newborn, with my nipples so sore and torn up! I dreaded her waking and wanting to eat. It was miserable. I asked a nurse for help, and she said basically “get used to it, that’s what its like to nurse a baby!”. But then something amazing happened. Ben chased down the Lactation Consultant, who finally appeared, just before it was time for us to leave the hospital. She watched me nurse, changed the way I was holding the baby, explained how to get a deeper latch, and suddenly it didn’t hurt anymore! Well, my nipples still hurt for days while they were healing, but nursing didn’t hurt anymore, and my baby went on to nurse enthusiastically for longer than I care to say in public ;-). I don’t know what would have happened if that Lactation Consultant (who left the county years ago) had not come by.
Fast forward 9 years-- after an amazing journey of study and mentorship, I am a Lactation Consultant myself now, the only one in Columbia County. Mothers call me, fathers call me, grandmothers call me. They need my help. They ask me how soon I can come. It’s an amazing thing to be able to turn around and give that support to others. And I never want that to be something limited by how much money families have in their bank accounts, because EVERY new baby, every new mom, every new dad, every young family, deserves the support they need Regardless of their financial situation . That’s why I created a Financial Assistance Fund. Because I always want to say yes to everyone who needs help. And I need YOUR help to do that! Please help if you can. Donations in any amount make a difference. No donation is too small. Please share on your own timeline, if you think it's important. Share your story, or share my story. And be an important part of many new stories.
So back to the official details--
Help keep in-home, expert Breastfeeding Support financially accessible to ALL new families in our Community with your donation to the Unlocking Breastfeeding Campaign! Our Financial Assistance Fund underwrites a “Pay What You Can” fee structure for WIC, Medicaid and Food Stamp Program participants in Columbia County and nearby areas who seek in-home care from Hearts' Work Breastfeeding Support 's International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC ), currently the only practicing IBCLC in Columbia county.
Families want what is best for their babies. Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that most mothers want to breastfeed, but stop prematurely due to a lack of ongoing support .
(Photo by Ana Tablas on Unsplash)
Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it does not always come naturally. Every family should have the care they need to meet their own breastfeeding goals.
Breastfeeding impacts so many aspects of family wellness – from reducing health concerns like diabetes and asthma and lifelong maternal cancer risks to improving mother-child bonding. Breastfeeding makes a powerful contribution to the well-being of our community’s families and children.
The Affordable Care Act recognized the importance of skilled lactation support in promoting breastfeeding and health by requiring Private Insurers to cover it as preventive care. Unfortunately Medicaid, which covers those least able to afford out of pocket expenses, does not cover in-home Lactation Support. That’s where YOU come in.
In 2019, half of all Lactation Visits made by Hearts’ Work Breastfeeding Support were to families participating in Medicaid. YOUR donations to the Financial Assistance Fund made these visits possible. No one was turned away! Let’s keep it going in 2020!
Your contributions providing access to breastfeeding support will have a life-long impact on families and on our Community!
(Image by Suzi Wilson from Pixabay)
If you prefer to donate by check: Please make out checks to “Hearts’ WorkBreastfeeding Support” and specify Financial Assistance Fund in the memo field. Please also indicate in the event that you wish your donation to be recorded as Anonymous on our Campaign site rather than aknowledged by name, which is our usual practice. Mail checks to 17 Kinderhook St, Chatham, NY 12037
I don't usually like talk about myself on social media, but please bear with me here, because this is personal for all of us, and I need you to understand. Do you remember your first days and weeks of nursing a newborn? Did you need any help? Here’s what I remember: So there I was, in my postpartum haze, I remember clear as day what it felt like to lie there, holding a newborn, with my nipples so sore and torn up! I dreaded her waking and wanting to eat. It was miserable. I asked a nurse for help, and she said basically “get used to it, that’s what its like to nurse a baby!”. But then something amazing happened. Ben chased down the Lactation Consultant, who finally appeared, just before it was time for us to leave the hospital. She watched me nurse, changed the way I was holding the baby, explained how to get a deeper latch, and suddenly it didn’t hurt anymore! Well, my nipples still hurt for days while they were healing, but nursing didn’t hurt anymore, and my baby went on to nurse enthusiastically for longer than I care to say in public ;-). I don’t know what would have happened if that Lactation Consultant (who left the county years ago) had not come by.
Fast forward 9 years-- after an amazing journey of study and mentorship, I am a Lactation Consultant myself now, the only one in Columbia County. Mothers call me, fathers call me, grandmothers call me. They need my help. They ask me how soon I can come. It’s an amazing thing to be able to turn around and give that support to others. And I never want that to be something limited by how much money families have in their bank accounts, because EVERY new baby, every new mom, every new dad, every young family, deserves the support they need Regardless of their financial situation . That’s why I created a Financial Assistance Fund. Because I always want to say yes to everyone who needs help. And I need YOUR help to do that! Please help if you can. Donations in any amount make a difference. No donation is too small. Please share on your own timeline, if you think it's important. Share your story, or share my story. And be an important part of many new stories.
So back to the official details--
Help keep in-home, expert Breastfeeding Support financially accessible to ALL new families in our Community with your donation to the Unlocking Breastfeeding Campaign! Our Financial Assistance Fund underwrites a “Pay What You Can” fee structure for WIC, Medicaid and Food Stamp Program participants in Columbia County and nearby areas who seek in-home care from Hearts' Work Breastfeeding Support 's International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC ), currently the only practicing IBCLC in Columbia county.
Families want what is best for their babies. Center for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show that most mothers want to breastfeed, but stop prematurely due to a lack of ongoing support .
(Photo by Ana Tablas on Unsplash)Breastfeeding is a natural process, but it does not always come naturally. Every family should have the care they need to meet their own breastfeeding goals.
Breastfeeding impacts so many aspects of family wellness – from reducing health concerns like diabetes and asthma and lifelong maternal cancer risks to improving mother-child bonding. Breastfeeding makes a powerful contribution to the well-being of our community’s families and children.
The Affordable Care Act recognized the importance of skilled lactation support in promoting breastfeeding and health by requiring Private Insurers to cover it as preventive care. Unfortunately Medicaid, which covers those least able to afford out of pocket expenses, does not cover in-home Lactation Support. That’s where YOU come in.
In 2019, half of all Lactation Visits made by Hearts’ Work Breastfeeding Support were to families participating in Medicaid. YOUR donations to the Financial Assistance Fund made these visits possible. No one was turned away! Let’s keep it going in 2020!
Your contributions providing access to breastfeeding support will have a life-long impact on families and on our Community!
(Image by Suzi Wilson from Pixabay)If you prefer to donate by check: Please make out checks to “Hearts’ WorkBreastfeeding Support” and specify Financial Assistance Fund in the memo field. Please also indicate in the event that you wish your donation to be recorded as Anonymous on our Campaign site rather than aknowledged by name, which is our usual practice. Mail checks to 17 Kinderhook St, Chatham, NY 12037
Organizer
Sarah Shapiro
Organizer
Chatham, NY
