Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly declared August “Kansas Breastfeeding Month” during a ceremony July 29 in recognition of National Breastfeeding Month.
Yet for too many families in Kansas, breastfeeding is measured in days, not months. Although nearly 90% of babies in Kansas start out breastfeeding, fewer than one in three will be breastfeeding three months later.
The “choice” to breastfeed isn’t a choice at all for many families. Lack of paid family leave, support in the workplace, and lack of access to lactation support from people with shared backgrounds and culture, make breastfeeding seem impossible.