Lactation Peer Support Groups
Category
Child & Family Health
Child's Age
Prenatal, 0-1 years, 1-2 years
Participant
Parents/Guardian
Languages
English, Spanish
Brief Description
Lactation peer support groups are informal meetings for pregnant and breastfeeding people facilitated by trained support group leaders and supported by licensed medical or health care providers, such as International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). Together, these professionals provide ongoing lactation care and intervention, address mothers’ concerns and provide opportunities for mother-to-mother support. Implementation should include community awareness of UNC’s hotline: Breastfeeding Warmline, (984)-974-8078 or toll free at (866) 428-5608) for anyone living in NC.
Expected Impact
- Increased likelihood of breastfeeding at 2 weeks and 6 months postpartum
- Increased likelihood of breastfeeding exclusivity at 3 months and 6 months postpartum
Core Components for Model Fidelity
- Lactation Peer Support Groups: Depending on the chosen model, trained support group leaders facilitate group meetings and provide participating parents/caregivers with social support for the continuation of breastfeeding. Infants attend the group meeting with their parents/caregivers. Based on the evidence reviewed, NCPC strongly recommends the Baby Cafe USA model. If you are interested in starting a different peer support group, please present the model to your program officer for evidence review.
- Connection to Medical Professionals: Support group leaders should receive guidance from licensed medical professionals, such as an International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) or a Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC). Group leaders must be able to provide recommendations for resources and connect mothers to an IBCLC, CLC, or other medical professional as necessary.
Languages Materials are Available in
English, Spanish
Delivery Mode
In-person at community gathering space or medical settings, and may be offered virtually, depending on the selected model.
Dosage
Dosage varies, depending on selected model.
Infrastructure for Implementation
Materials: Directory of local and/or regional IBCLCs and CLCs for referral, as needed.
Space: A designated and private meeting space with seating for all participants.
Staffing Requirements
Group facilitator requirements vary depending on the selected model. The leader of the group must complete the accreditation process for the selected model. All group leaders must be trained and/or accredited to implement the selected model.
It is strongly recommended by NCPC that support groups are lead or supported by a medical professional, such as an IBCLC or CLC. If implementing Lactation Support Groups without a CLC or IBCLC, group leaders must have a list of local CLC or IBCLCs to refer parents to when needed.
Training for Model Fidelity
Group facilitator training requirements vary depending on the selected model. All facilitators are required to complete the model’s accreditation process.
Contact Information
Cost Estimates
Cost of training varies by model.
Purpose Service Code (PSC)
5413 – Prenatal/Newborn Services
Program Identifier (PID)
Lactation Peer Support Groups
Minimal Outputs for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Number of parents/guardians partcipating†
†Select Family Support Programs data collection will include basic demographic data for parent/guardian participants including Race, Ethnicity. Data on interpretation and transportation will be collected when appropriate.
Minimal Outcomes for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Increase in parent use of services
Minimal Measures for NCPC Reporting
FY 24-25:
- Parent Use of Services Calculation and
- Please add a write-in depending on what the participants are focusing on
NCPC Evidence Categorization
Evidence Informed- 2 publications. 1 program evaluation and 1 systematic review.
Research Summary
Two of the most relevant publications on lactation peer support groups include a systematic review1 and a program evaluation of Baby Café.2 These publications sampled a wide variety of individuals, including mothers as young as 15 years, from several regions (Finland, United Kingdom, United States (including Boston, Massachusetts and San Antonio, Texas), India, Kenya, Taiwan, and Iran), women from low-income backgrounds, ethnic minority populations, infants born late preterm or full term, and women with differing educational backgrounds, among other identifiers. As identified in the systematic review, the most important and common characteristics of breastfeeding support groups included: in person meetings; flexible contents that could be adapted to meet the participants’ needs; combined peer support with leadership or guidance of a medical professional, such as an IBCLC; the group leader represented the group members in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors; and any online support groups had a breastfeeding expert present to answer questions. Ultimately, the review found higher rates of breastfeeding at 2 weeks and 6 months postpartum among women who received breastfeeding support services. The evaluation of Baby Café found that participants were more likely to meet the American Academy of Pediatrics goal of breastfeeding for 12 months, exceed the CDC-reported national average for breastfeeding for 12 months, and meet their personal breastfeeding goals. Mothers who attended 5 times or more were significantly more likely to breastfeed for 12 months (p < 0.05). Baby Café participants were also more likely to achieve or exceed breastfeeding exclusivity rates similar to the CDC-reported average.
- ^ See Rodríguez-Gallego et al. (2021). This systematic review of various breastfeeding support practices adhered to PRISMA guidelines. The review focused on 13 evaluations of peer support groups with or without leadership from a healthcare professional and compared findings from these evaluations with outcomes associated with usual care. Participants included women exposed to breastfeeding support groups from various backgrounds, such as low-income or ethnic minorities, various locations (Finland, United Kingdom, United States, India, Kenya, Taiwan, and Iran), infants born late preterm (34 weeks gestational age) or full term, and mothers over age 15. The review excluded women and infants with specific health problems, such as HIV/AIDS, diabetes, and infants with cleft palate. Measures utilized in these evaluations included questionnaires, Infant Feeding Survey, Breastfeeding Self-Efficacy Scale- Short Form (BFSE-SF), and others. There was high heterogeneity between studies, as they did not survey participants at the same intervals. Data was collected 24 hours after birth, between 2 to 6 months after birth, and beyond 6 months postpartum until the child’s second birthday. The interventions used different dosages, numbers of participants, and group format. Overall, the interventions found favorable outcomes for initiating breastfeeding shortly after giving birth. Initiation rates increased after the introduction of peer support services and self-help groups. At two weeks postpartum, preterm and full term infants were more likely to be breastfeeding after their mother attended a community support group. Studies also indicated a steady increase in breastfeeding practices after introduction to peer support services. Outcomes in the 1 to 6 month postpartum range were highly varied across studies. At 6 months postpartum, most interventions reported favorable breastfeeding outcomes but varied widely across the different studies and interventions. Across the 13 studies, the most important and common characteristics of breastfeeding support groups included: in person meetings; flexible contents that could be adapted to meet the participants’ needs; combined peer support with leadership or guidance of a medical professional, such as an IBCLC; the group leader represented the group members in terms of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and other factors; and any online support groups had a breastfeeding expert present to answer questions. Ultimately, the review found higher rates of breastfeeding at 2 weeks and 6 months postpartum among women who received breastfeeding support services.
- ^ See Jenkins et al. (2020). This program evaluation reports findings from two Baby Café sites located in Massachusetts (just outside Boston) and San Antonio, Texas. Participants differed widely at the two sites. In Massachusetts, participants were primarily Caucasian (83%), over age 25 (94%), held a postgraduate degree (64%), worked outside of the home (74%), and only 2% used WIC. Participants in Texas were primarily Hispanic (82%), made use of WIC services (99%), and held a high school degree or GED (80%). Only 20% of participants in Texas worked outside of the home and similar percentages of participants were ages 19-25 (47%) or 25 and older (53%). Measures included initial registration and demographics, which included a personal breastfeeding duration goal, weekly attendance, and exclusivity of breastfeeding (compared with CDC rates), an outcome survey conducted at just over 6 months and 12 months postpartum, and the infant's wean age compared with the mother's indicated personal goal. Results indicated that 58% of participants met the American Academy of Pediatrics goal of breastfeeding for 12 months, which exceeds the CDC-reported national average (35.9%). Mothers who attended 5x or more were significantly more likely to breastfeed for 12 months (p < 0.05). Most participants in Massachusetts (79%) and Texas (77%) met their personal breastfeeding goal. Additionally, the CDC reports breastfeeding exclusivity rates of 47% at 3 months and 25% at 6 months postpartum. Baby Café participants in Texas achieved similar rates of exclusivity (52% at 3 months and 47% at months postpartum) while participants in Massachusetts reached 77% exclusivity at 3 months and 71% at 6 months postpartum. It is important to note that selection bias may have had an impact on the outcomes, as mothers who are committed to breastfeeding their infant may be more inclined to participate in a breastfeeding support group.
Researched Population
- Industry Standard
- People of various racial/ethnic backgrounds
- People with lower incomes
- People living in urban areas
Jenkins, L. A., Barnes, K., Latter, A., & Edwards, R. A. (2020). Examining the Baby Cafe´ Model and Mothers’ Breastfeeding Duration, Meeting of Goals, and Exclusivity. Breastfeeding Medicine, 15(5), 331-334. https://doi.org/10.1089/bfm.2019.0179
Isabel Rodríguez-Gallego, I., Leon-Larios, F., Corrales-Gutierrez, I., & González-Sanz, J. D. (2021). Impact and Effectiveness of Group Strategies for Supporting Breastfeeding after Birth: A Systematic Review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 2550. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18052550
Please see the Smart Solutions entry for Lactation Consultation.
Local Partnerships Currently Implementing
Local Partnerships in purple have adopted Lactation Peer Support Groups. Local Partnership contact information can be found here.