While breastfeeding is natural, it’s not always easy and can take time, patience and support. There are many caring people who are available to help you on your journey. These include public health nurses, lactation consultants, your doctor, midwife, and family or friends.
To help parents with their infant feeding goals, Interior Health has introduced new accessible services and resources that meet parents where they are at. These resources are aimed to make it easy for parents to access breastfeeding guidance and expertise in Interior Health, and support parents no matter where they live.
“We recognize that inequalities affect parents across the Interior region,” says Rebecca Gibbons, manager, Healthy Start Healthy Schools at IH. “Those who live in rural and remote areas, Indigenous families, and parents of colour, face special challenges when it comes to accessing services and information about feeding their baby. It’s important to us that no family is left behind.”
Healthy From The Start Breastfeeding Support Phone Line
The Breastfeeding Support Phone Line is a new service offered by Healthy From The Start Pregnancy Connections, a free program for expectant parents. If you have questions or concerns about feeding you baby, you can talk to one of our lactation consultants. Health-care providers and public health nurses can also phone the line for consultation and advice.
You can ask questions when you call, or set up a phone or video call using Zoom at a future date, depending on your questions and needs.
Call 1-855-868-7710 from Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Pacific Time to sign up for Healthy From The Start, or to speak with a breastfeeding specialist in your area.
Locally made videos answer common questions
Recognizing that many parents have questions about breastfeeding, these videos were made locally with real nurses, moms, parents and babies.
Local breastfeeding clinics
After a parent has contacted the Breastfeeding Support Phone Line, our goal is to connect them to support in their community. You can also check for breastfeeding clinics and support in your area – there are 41 in our region. Public health nurses are available to provide free one-on-one breastfeeding consultation.
Breastfeeding and chestfeeding resources
Learn the basics of breastfeeding your baby, how to stay healthy and what support is available. Explore alternatives to breastfeeding.
- Feeding your Baby
- Breastfeeding (HealthLink BC)
- 10 Great Reasons to Breastfeed (Public Health Agency of Canada)
- 10 Valuable Tips for Successful Breastfeeding (Public Health Agency of Canada)
Related Stories@IH: 8 benefits of supporting breastfeeding in your workplace and community
Resources for local governments
Local governments can also play a role in closing the gap by creating safe and inclusive spaces for breastfeeding parents. Explore these resources:
Breastfeeding-Friendly Public Spaces - A Toolkit for Local Governments
Breastfeeding-Friendly Communities
Contact your local Healthy Community Development Team member to learn more.
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The words breastfeeding and breastfed are used throughout this article to describe a baby being fed human milk produced by a parent at the parent’s breast. We recognize that parents may prefer different words, like nursing or chestfeeding.
Each year, National Breastfeeding Week is celebrated in Canada October 1–7. This year’s theme is Closing the Gap: Breastfeeding Support for All.
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