As a public health nurse, you form a vital connection between new families and the healthcare system. Helping parents with infant feeding is a crucial part of that role—but since preservice training often only skims the surface of breastfeeding, you may be left unprepared for the real-world challenges you encounter. We are here to support you as you support families. Let’s start with four of the most important things you need to know now—they’re drawn from our course Lactation Basics for the Public Health Nurse, which contains 8 in-depth modules designed just for you, to give you the tools to support lactation with confidence. Systemic Barriers Matter—and You Can Help Evidence shows that in perinatal settings, care providers often make assu...

Both in times of calm and in times of crisis, exclusive breastfeeding equals first food security. Having a safe, reliable source of nutrition and protection against disease protects babies in any circumstance—and especially when there is food insecurity. However, the relationship is more complex than you might think. That’s because already having food security is a predictor of being able to exclusively breastfeed. And conversely, being in the midst of food insecurity makes it less likely that a family will be able to access the support and resources needed to exclusively breastfeed. Now as never before, action and advocacy are needed to protect, promote, and support the structures that help all families to meet their breastfeeding goals, i...