I was just reading the current edition of the Breastfeeding Coalition of Washington’s newsletter and was thrilled to read about a great breastfeeding resource for childbirth educators, doulas and lactation consultants and couldn’t wait to share! Imagine, all the breastfeeding resources, research, tips, suggestions, care practices and breastfeeding links you could ever want, conveniently located on your iPhone or smart phone!

The Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition has developed and provided for free, an iPhone or Palm OS application called Breastfeeding Management, a reference for supporting breastfeeding mothers! Did I mention this was free! What a bounty of information! I have already installed it on my iPhone and am amazed at the wealth of resources I now have handy for those postpartum visits with new moms! Go check it out, install it yourself and see how helpful it can be. I always say that I think breastfeeding is the next big challenge after birth, and women can use all the support and help they can to make sure the breastfeeding relationship starts out strong and stays that way! Do your part to help with this handy tool right in your pocket!

And while you are at it, did you know that there is an international symbol for breastfeeding that states “Breastfeeding welcomed here!” The purpose of an international symbol for breastfeeding is to increase public awareness of breastfeeding, to provide an alternative to the use of a baby bottle image to designate baby friendly areas in public, and to mark breastfeeding friendly facilities. The winning image was designed by Matt Daigle of Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Matt is a stay-at-home dad, freelance graphic designer, and cartoonist. Matt and his wife Kay are the parents of one-year-old son Hayden.

The breastfeeding symbol is available copyright free. Matt has signed it over to the Public Domain. You can download a variety of formats of the International Breastfeeding Symbol here. Think about downloading it and posting it on your website, printing it out and hanging it in your classroom, on your car bumper, in your clinic or office, the storefront window of your business, anywhere you feel it is important to say “Breastfeeding Moms Rock!”

I just received a heads up that the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is now open for business and can receive donated breastmilk! Their donor depot is located in Newberg, OR. They are intently looking to open other donor depots in the Northwest, so I expect that we may see one closer to Seattle soon! At this time, they are still getting set up to have milk available for babies in need here in the Northwest. Until that happens, the donor milk will be shipped to their partner, Mothers Milk Bank of Colorado. There was a great article in The Oregonian about this wonderful news that highlighted a premature baby who greatly benefited from donor milk!

I think this is such a great thing, women who have an abundance of milk can share the excess and babies in need can benefit from the absolute best food for them! Northwest Mothers Milk Bank is also working hard to get insurance companies to cover the cost of donated breastmilk, after all, it is just as lifesaving as medication!

Over the years, I have informally helped clients of mine exchange milk, when a mama needed some extra and other women had a surplus! And I was so awed and appreciative that the women I support are so giving and unselfish with something that they work so hard to produce! I look forward to being able to refer clients to the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank in the future, both as a place to donate extra and a supply for those who need it!

If you are a mama with extra breastmilk, consider contacting the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank and letting them know you have breastmilk to share. And update us here, about the process, so others can be inspired to do the same. It takes a village, I always say, and I am proud to be a part of mine!