Anchoring breastfeeding implementation through policies and guidelines within our systems is one of the objectives of World Breastfeeding Week 2026.
To get the celebration started and help primary care providers initiate conversations within their systems we are excited to share our Practice Change Proposal.
Download the full & editable version of our Practice Change Proposal Template right now by joining our community for free! Just complete this brief survey here. Already a community member? Simply login to download!
The proposal provides a template for starting the discussion with administration. Highlights include:
- Background: Highlights the health impact of breastfeeding on infants and mothers. Identifies barriers to breastfeeding and why changes are needed.
- Practice Assessment Summary: Here you can personalize information to your practice, including breastfeeding initiation and duration rates and results of provider surveys.
- Recommendations: After identifying barriers, needs, and feasibility, what are you proposing for your practice? (i.e. combining lactation consultants within an exisisting primary care provider visit, anticipated schedule or costs)
- References: A list of references where others can go for more details
Join our Community after a brief survey to download the full & editable version of our Practice Change Proposal Template, today!
Research Updates
Breast Milk Expression in Mothers of Full-Term Infants: A Scoping Review of Available Info
- Regular milk expression is associated with earlier cessation of human milk feeding, for mothers of full-term infants.
- The most common negative theme: expression is time consuming.
- Women need more practical support with pumping & direct breastfeeding.
- from Journal of Human Lactation Online Feb 2026
Concordant WIC Staff and Pediatrician Recommendations Associated with Improved Breastfeeding
- Mothers reported 88% WIC staff recommended exclusive breastfeeding(EBF) compared to 39.3% of pediatricians.
- Mothers reported being told that breastfeeding and formula were equivalent by 7% of WIC staff compared to 50.7% of pediatricians.
- "Concordance was defined as mothers' perception of whether both pediatricians and WIC staff recommended exclusive breastfeeding (EBF) at 1 month postpartum" and EBF was higher among mothers with concordant recommendations(i.e. OR= 2.83 at 1 mos; OR =2 at 3 mos; OR= 2.12 at 5 mos) highlighting the importance of aligning recommendations within health care teams.
- from J. Nutri May 2026
An integrative review of the impact of International Board Certified Lactation Consultants in outpatient postnatal settings in the United States
- There is a strong positive correlation between postnatal IBCLC support and breastfeeding initiation & duration.
- Policy changes & insurance coverage expansion are needed to ensure access & affordability of IBCLC support.
- In-person & telehealth options help patients access lactation support.
- from Journal of Perinatology, Sept 2025
Helpful Resources
- Breastfeeding Quality Improvement Initiatives in Primary Care: BFMEDPCP blog on potential breastfeeding quality improvement efforts within primary care practices
- Get People Talking: Survey Your Primary Care Team on Lactation Support: BFMEDPCP blog on conducting a provider survey at your practice.
- USLCA model job description for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants: A helpful resource if you're considering adding an IBCLC to your clinical team and need to create a job description.
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