Meet COBA's New Executive Director!

Heidi Russell, COBA Executive Director 
The Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates (COBA) is pleased to welcome Heidi Russell as its first-ever Executive Director. Heidi comes to COBA with more than 25 years experience as a nonprofit development and communications professional with a wide range of healthcare knowledge. She brings a passion for programs and services focused on improving outcomes for Oklahoma’s children and families. A graduate of Leadership Oklahoma City, Russell holds undergraduate and master’s degrees from the University of Central Oklahoma and has previously served in an executive leadership capacity. Read more about Heidi here!

COBA Updates

COBA firmly stands against all forms of oppression, and will continue to collaborate, partner, and engage to fully support families across life stages so our children can grow, develop and lead productive and healthy lives, free from violence and racism. Read COBA's full Statement on Racial Injustice.

Have you seen the latest Breastfeeding Support Fact Sheet from the Oklahoma State Department of Health? Check it out here: Breastfeeding Support Fact Sheet

COBA is now sending monthly newsletters! Check out COBA's latest newsletter here: June newsletter . This month's edition contains tips for father's supporting breastfeeding moms, ideas for staycations in Oklahoma, as well as workgroup opportunities and more!

Oklahoma enters 2020 with 10 Baby-Friendly Hospitals!
Congratulations to the teams at Integris Canadian Valley Hospital & The Children’s Hospital at OU Medicine. These two facilities worked very hard for several years to achieve their Baby-Friendly Designations. OU Children’s is the largest birthing hospital in Oklahoma to become designated as Baby-Friendly by the national organization Baby-Friendly USA (BFUSA)! OU’s designation means that almost 32% of Oklahoma babies are born in a Baby-Friendly hospital - well above the national average of 28%. Additionally, OU’s teaching hospital status makes this designation significant because their new physicians will be trained in an environment of best practices for maternal/newborn care. To learn more about Baby-Friendly and see a full list of designated hospitals in Oklahoma, click here.

Harvard Business Review published an excellent summary on the why and how of supporting breastfeeding employees.
​https://hbr.org/2019/04/how-companies-can-support-breastfeeding-employees
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COBA and the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) have put together a Guide to the Rights of Breastfeeding Employees in Oklahoma that shows how federal and state laws affect Oklahoma working parents. Spread the word!

COBA's Strategic Plan Update

At its recent Strategic Planning session, the Board of Directors of the Coalition of Oklahoma Breastfeeding Advocates unanimously voted to adopt a new set of goals and tactics to align COBA’s focus and priorities with our mission and current capacity. 

COBA will focus on building organizational capacity and on networking, education, promotion of public awareness, and advocacy for breastfeeding families across the state of Oklahoma. For more information, please download and review our 2019 Strategic Plan.

​For direct breastfeeding support resources in Oklahoma City and statewide, please see our Breastfeeding Help menu.

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The World Health Organization recently released a document with information and guidance on breastfeeding and COVID19. It features a decision tree, a helpful clinical tool. 

The United States Lactation Consultant Association has developed some helpful infographics regarding breastfeeding through COVID-19 as well as a shared decision-making document. In addition, we have linked a widely distributed consent form that may be considered in the instance where a mother refuses separation from her infant. 
"Making Breastfeeding Easier" & "Breastfeeding Basics and Beyond" Training: Free one-day and two-day classes for health care providers held in Oklahoma City, provided by the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC) with funding from the Oklahoma State Department of Health. Check the OBRC Training Page to register.  ​

Interested in hosting a class at your location? Contact OBRC at OBRC@ouhsc.edu.
Page last updated 5/18/2020 by AHS.
Write to info@okbreastfeeding.org to share your educational, professional, or advocacy news or event on this page!