A Note From Our ChairWhat an unprecedented time we are in right now. I hope all of our COBA members and partners are staying safe, washing hands, practicing social distancing and most of all, supporting each other as we fight this pandemic.
As your state breastfeeding coalition leadership, we are working closely with the United States Breastfeeding Committee, the Centers for Disease Control, our Oklahoma State Department of Health, and WIC service to monitor recommendations for breastfeeding mothers and children and changes in access to lactation support. Now more than ever, mothers need support to keep breastfeeding. With this launch of our new monthly newsletter, we want you to know that COBA is a trusted source of accurate information, especially during this time of uncertainty, misinformation, and shelter-in-place rules. What issues need COBA’s advocacy experience? Let us know what you need, whether you are a breastfeeding family, a healthcare worker, or other COBA friend. Together we will be successful! -Becky 
Becky Mannel, MPH, IBCLC, FILCA
COBA Chair
In The News-COBA is now sending monthly newsletters! Check out COBA's latest newsletter here: April 2020 Newsletter. This month's edition contains COVID-19 updates, links to OBRC webinar, USBC information 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. -Congratulations to Hillcrest Medical Center, Oklahoma's 8th hospital designated Baby-Friendly, and Tulsa's 1st! The national average of babies born in a Baby-Friendly hospital is 25%. With the designation of Hillcrest Medical Center, the percentage of Oklahoma babies born in a Baby-Friendly hospital has risen to 20%. Hillcrest is a teaching hospital, which makes this designation significant because their new physicians will be trained in an environment of best practices for maternal/newborn care. 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 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 UpdateAt 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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Mark Your Calendar!Breastfeeding and COVID-19
Webinar Panel with Q&A Wednesday, April 8 2:00pm There is a lot of confusion and concern over breastfeeding in the midst of COVID-19. Is it safe to keep mothers and babies together after delivery? Should a mother continue breastfeeding if she is diagnosed with the virus? Is donor milk still safe?
Join Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center for a webinar featuring the most current recommendations about breastfeeding during the COVID-19 pandemic. Panelists will clarify the evidence and recommendations to support optimal breastfeeding. Submit questions in advance to OBRC (obrc@ouhsc.edu), or ask in real-time during the webinar. Panelists:
Kate Arnold, MD – OB/GYN, Women’s Health Director, Variety Care Doug Drevets, MD – Infectious Disease, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center Malinda Webb, MD – Pediatrician, Stillwater Medical Center, Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator, OK AAP Rebecca Mannel, MPH, IBCLC – Director, OK Breastfeeding Resource Center, OUHSC and Executive Director, OK Mothers’ Milk Bank Joining details: Click the below link to join the webinar: https://ouhsc.zoom.us/j/832307122 On a smart device join with Zoom app & meeting ID: 832 307 122 Upcoming Events for Advocates & Professionals"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.
Page last updated 4/4/2020 by AHS.
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