Physical Health United States Project #43608

Low Income Moms Need Breastfeeding Support

by Nursing Mothers Counsel of Oregon

Project Report | May 7, 2020
Spring Update

By Anna Short | Program Director

We have been able to increase monthly pump grants since the beginning of the year to roughly two per month and we have granted 3 free pump kits since January 1, 2020. Due to Covid-19, we have had to find ways to get pumps to people in a low contact way to protect the health of our clients and our volunteers and we have managed to do so. Our pump inventory is completely rented currently and we are on a waitlist. We have changed our fee structure to be significantly more affordable even to those who are not actually low income, we have also instituted a sliding scale to help those who have had income reduction due to covid-19 and as always those who qualify for WIC or SNAP receive free pumps. We have had to cancel 3 fundraisers since March 10th so we hope to be able to continue to fund our pump program and our peer counseling program at full capacity as long as funding allows.

Two of our current grants are to moms who are recent immigrants to America and who had babies who needed NICU care. The ability to receive a free hospital grade pump rental made a huge difference in their wellbeing and their baby's health. Our donor's donations made this possible and we are so very grateful. During this uncertain time of pandemic we want to continue to support, protect, and promote breastfeeding in order to improve health outcomes for families. Your donations allow us to keep doing that and that's nothing short of heroic. Thank you!

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Jan 10, 2020
2020 Breast Pump Grant Goals

By Anna Short | Program Director/Project Leader

Today is January 9th, 2020 and we have recently completed our first GlobalGiving campaign which was the 2019 Giving Season Campaign. Our project was to raise money to give monthly grants to low income families to receive free hospital- grade breast pump rentals which usually cost a renter $50-70 per month depending on their income level. We wanted to raise enough money to allow for free pump rentals to families who are considered at or below the poverty line or who recieve public assistance through WIC or SNAP. In the last three weeks, NMC has responded to several requests for free or low cost pumps that have come via our warmline which is supported by volunteer breastfeeding peer counselors. We have been able to give grants for free pumps to two mothers and connected one mother to our resource for a free commerical-grade breast pump through our pump donation program. One mother needed to pump after a major surgery in order to keep her supply up while taking contraindicated medication. This will likely be a short term rental of one or two months but the abilty to rent the pump likely saved this mother and baby's nursing relationship from being cut short. The other pump was for a mother with low supply after a traumatic birth. She was able to use a hospital-grade pump while in the hospital but once she was discharged she was given a low performing commerial-grade pump that really just didn't work well for her. With the help of a lactation consultant and one of our hospital-grade pumps, she was able to improve her milk supply and nurse her baby directly from the breast. We hope to continue to recieve requests from families in need as the year progresses and we will be informing local services such as WIC and family helath clinics that we now have the ability to give these grants to those who qualify. Your doantions made this happen and without you we would not be able to offer these grants. We raised enough money to likely be able to cover two grants per month for the entire year. These families thank you, our community thanks you, and WE THANK YOU.

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