• Breastfeeding Support Groups

• CoxHealth Women's Center

• Mercy Family Resource Center

• WIC

• Greater Ozark Regional Mother's Milk Depot

• Breastfeeding Support in Southwest MO

• Breastfeeding Support Defined

• Pumps and Supplies in Southwest MO

• Online Resources

Breastfeeding help is available in a support group setting each week in the greater Springfield metro area.  Groups meet in each area of the city for mother’s convenience.

Far south Springfield:

CoxHealth TLC (The Lactation Club) meets on the 1st Monday of each month from 6-7:30 pm in the Cox South Turner Center, 1000 E Primrose, Suite 130.  Call 417-269-4664 or visit https://www.facebook.com/coxhealthmoms

La Leche League of Springfield:  417 201-4242.  Mother to mother support provided one-on-one and at meetings.  Group meets on 2nd Monday each month 6:30-8:30 pm at the Library Center, 4653 S. Campbell Avenue.  Leaders offer guidance during discussion at meetings and by phone, email or facebook consultation. Contact:  See their website: http://lllofspringfieldmo.wordpress.com/meetings/        

Mid central:

Nurture Café is sponsored by the Springfield-Greene County Health Department WIC Department. Follow their Facebook page (Springfield-Greene County WIC) for monthly meeting information. Join for conversation, networking, and support in a relaxed setting. Contact the WIC breastfeeding office at 417-864-1541.

Doula Foundation meets every Thursdays from 10am till noon at the G. Pearson Ward YMCA on S. Jefferson, call for registration  417-832-9222.  This is a Postpartum yoga and support group, child care may be available, call to inquire.

Far north:

Outside of Springfield:

Taney County Health Department meets the third Wednesday of the month from 10-11 at the Branson location, contact Wendy at 417-334-4544.

The CoxHealth Women’s Center offers lactation services to support women who desire to breastfeed. Their goal is to promote and enhance the nursing experience. Visit Milestones Boutique at the Women's Center for mother and baby products and services, including: 

• Nursing bras and tank tops

• Breast pump rental and purchase

• Breastfeeding products

• Private lactation consultations (inpatient and outpatient) with an IBCLC 

The Women's Center is located at Cox South Turner Center, 1000 E. Primrose, Suite 110, Springfield, MO, 65807.  For more information or to register for classes, call 417-269-LADY (269-5239). 

Mercy knows you probably have questions about feeding your newborn and invites you to consider breastfeeding - an ideal beginning for both you and your baby.

Mercy offers both inpatient and outpatient breastfeeding services, including breastfeeding classes and individual consultations with an IBCLC to assist you and your family. Breastfeeding supplies and products are also available.
While mothers and babies are in the hospital, lactation consultants are available seven days a week to assist new mothers. If you would like assistance with breastfeeding your baby, please let your nurse know.

Call the Family Resource Center at 417-820-2327.  

A division of the USDA Food and Nutrition Services, The Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) program provides Federal grants to States for supplemental foods, health care referrals, and nutrition education for low-income pregnant, breastfeeding, and non-breastfeeding postpartum women, and to infants and children up to age five who are found to be at nutritional risk. The mission of WIC is to safeguard the health of low-income women, infants, and children up to age 5 who are at nutrition risk by providing nutritious foods to supplement diets, information on healthy eating, and referrals to health care.

Research has shown that there is no better food than breast milk for a baby’s first year of life. Breastfeeding provides health, nutritional, economical and emotional benefits to mother and baby. Since a major goal of the WIC Program is to improve the nutritional status of infants, WIC mothers are encouraged to breastfeed their infants. WIC has historically promoted breastfeeding to all pregnant women as the optimal infant feeding choice, unless medically contraindicated.

• WIC mothers choosing to breastfeed are provided information through counseling and breastfeeding educational materials.

• Breastfeeding mothers receive follow-up support through peer counselors.

• Breastfeeding mothers are eligible to participate in WIC longer than non-breastfeeding mothers.

• Mothers who exclusively breastfeed their infants receive an enhanced food package.

• Breastfeeding mothers can receive breast pumps, breast shells or nursing supplementers to help support the initiation and continuation of breastfeeding.

Many excellent breastfeeding resources are available on the WIC Works Resource System Website:  http://wicworks.nal.usda.gov/breastfeeding

The Springfield-Greene County WIC is a breastfeeding-friendly clinic providing breastfeeding support through education, hospital visits, peer counselors and individual consultation with one of their IBCLCs.  They are located at 1720 West Grand, Springfield, Missouri, 65802, in the same building as Jordan Valley Community Health Center or at 2105 West Kearney Suite B, Springfield, Missouri 65803 in the lower level of Northside Dental.  They may be contacted at 417-864-1540 and the breastfeeding office is 417-864-1541. 

For more information visit the WIC page of the Springfield-Greene County Health Department website.   

Donating breast milk is giving the gift of life. There is now a simple, safe, healthy way for local women to donate their extra milk:  The Greater Ozarks Regional Mother’s Milk Depot.  By giving of their time and milk, donor mothers help improve the lives of infants in our area and beyond.

 Women interested in starting the milk donor screening process can contact The Milk Bank at (317) 536-1670 or (877) 829-7470 or you may visit their website at www.themilkbank.org

Have questions and want to speak to someone local? Contact the Milk Depot at (417) 864-1529. The Milk Depot is located at the health department's main WIC location, inside Jordan Valley Community Health Center, at 1720 West Grand in Springfield, MO.  

BARRY COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Monett office   (417) 354-8686      
      Cassville office   (417) 847-2114 

BARTON COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Lamar office    (417) 682-3363

BATES COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Butler office    (660) 679-6108

BENTON COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Warsaw office    (660) 438-2876 Ext 3

CEDAR COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      El Dorado Springs office    (417)  876-5477
      Stockton office    (417) 276-6416

CHRISTIAN COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Ozark office    (417) 581-2385

DADE COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Greenfield office   (417) 637-2345 ext 6

DALLAS COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Buffalo office   (417) 345-2332

DENT COUNTY
Health Department WIC
      Salem office    (573) 729-3106

DOUGLAS COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     Ava office    (417) 683-4174

GREENE COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     Springfield office   (417) 864-1540  
     After-hours helpline:   (417) 838-9992
     Republic office    (417) 864-1540

Mercy Family Resource Center Lactation Service
     (417) 820-2327
La Leche League International:    (417) 201-4242
CoxHealth The Women’s Center    (417) 269-4664

HENRY COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     Clinton office    (660) 885-8195

HICKORY COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     Hermitage office     (417) 745-2138

HOWELL COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     West Plains office    (417) 256-7078
     Mountain View office   (417) 256-7078
     Willow Springs office    (417) 256-7078
Breastfeeding Support Group Available

JASPER COUNTY
Health Department WIC
     Joplin office   (417) 623-1928
option 4 for peer counselor
option 5 for IBCLC
After Hours: (417) 499-7323
Breastfeeding Support Group FB: Chi Chi Mama’s Bf Support Group

Definition:  International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC)

An IBCLC is an internationally recognized credential in breastfeeding support. This credential is awarded only after an individual obtains extensive clinical experience with breastfeeding mothers, education credits in lactation and passes the lactation consultants’ examination provided by the International Board Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBLCE). IBCLCs work collaboratively with primary care providers to assure appropriate clinical and practical management of breastfeeding and lactation in order to protect, promote and support breastfeeding.

http://iblce.org/

Definition: Certified Breastfeeding Educator ™

A CBE™ is a breastfeeding advocate with an additional credential that validates their special knowledge and skills obtained through completing a comprehensive course. They are prepared to assist breastfeeding families with normal lactation and with common breastfeeding challenges. A CBE ™ is not qualified to represent herself as a lactation consultant.

http://www.lactation-consultant-services.com/certification.html

Definition: Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

CLC certification means that a person has received training and competency verification from ANCC (American Nurses Credential Center) in breastfeeding and human lactation support including assessing the latching and feeding process, providing corrective interventions, counseling mothers, understanding and applying knowledge of milk production in special circumstances and other commonly encountered situations. CLCs are members of the health care team who can provide knowledge and counseling about optimal and sub-optimal breastfeeding.

http://www.healthychildren.cc/index2B.htm

Definition:  WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor

A WIC Breastfeeding Peer Counselor is a support person who gives basic breastfeeding information and encouragement to WIC pregnant and breastfeeding mothers A WIC peer counselor has breastfed at least one baby and has taken a minimum of a 16-hour breastfeeding competency course.

http://health.springfieldmo.gov/index.aspx?NID=108

Definition:  LLL Leader

A LLL leader is a mother who has breastfed her baby at least nine months whose purpose is to help other mothers learn to breastfeed their babies, to encourage good mothering through breastfeeding, and to promote a better understanding of breastfeeding and related subjects. .  Mother to mother support is provided one-on-one and at meetings. Leaders, who complete a comprehensive training program, offer guidance during discussion at meetings and by phone, email or facebook consultation. 

http://www.llli.org/

http://lllofspringfieldmo.wordpress.com/

For more information about the many different lactation assistant qualifications, visit the Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition site: http://massbreastfeeding.org/landscape/guide/  or for the PDF version:  http://massbreastfeeding.org/landscape/

Sales and rentals of Medela breastpumps:

The Women’s Center
CoxHealth
1000 E. Primrose, Ste. 110
Springfield, MO 65807
Call 417-269-4664 or visit their website.

Retail locations in southwest Missouri include: 

Babies R Us
1425 East Battlefield Rd, Springfield, MO 65804
Call 417- 882-6097or shop online.

Bella Baby
900 E Battlefield Rd, Springfield, MO 65807
Call 417-889-4449 or shop online.

Target
1825 E Primrose St, Springfield, MO 65804
Call 417-889-1511 or shop online.

Walgreens
Check the website for the location nearest you. 

Here are the on-line resources picked personally by our Coalition Board members as sites they would highly recommend to you:   

 For Moms: 

La Leche League:                                                         http://www.lalecheleague.org/nb.html

Kelly Mom:                                                                     http://kellymom.com/

Stanford University (Dr. Jane Morton):                      http://newborns.stanford.edu/Breastfeeding/

Breastfeeding and working                             http://workandpump.com/

Breastfeeding in the military                           http://breastfeedingincombatboots.com/

 For Professionals:

Women’s Health.gov:                                                  http://www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding/index.html

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine:                        http://www.bfmed.org/default.aspx

American Academy of Pediatrics:                               http://www2.aap.org/breastfeeding/

Infant Risk Center (Dr. Thomas Hale):                        http://www.infantrisk.com/

Massachusetts Breastfeeding Coalition:                   http://massbreastfeeding.org/

U.S. Breastfeeding Committee:                                  http://www.usbreastfeeding.org/ 

Wellstart International:                                               http://www.wellstart.org/