Grant County Breastfeeding Coalition

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The Grant County Breastfeeding Coalition (GCBC) is dedicated to educating and promoting breastfeeding throughout Grant County! This coalition is a local chapter of the Washington State Lactation Collaborative. The GCBC meetings are held monthly at Samaritan Healthcare. 

Mission: Strives to protect, promote, and normalize breastfeeding within our community through education, support, and collaboration

Vision: Together we can increase the success and duration of breastfeeding.

Why Breastfeed

Breastfeeding offers many benefits. Breast milk is easy to digest and contains antibodies that can protect infants from bacterial and viral infections. Infants who are breastfed are less likely to become overweight or obese children or adolescents when compared to infants who were only bottle-fed.

  • Bond with your baby
  • Growth and development
  • Provides illness protection
  • Reduce the risk for obesity
  • Mother's health
  • Baby's digestion
  • Allergy reduction
  • Money savings

Community Involvement

The GCBC is committed to helping reduce community stigma associated with breastfeeding via community partnerships, education, policy, system, and environmental changes, as well as through community outreach and engagement.

  • Assisted Samaritan Hospital in becoming a Breastfeeding Friendly Washington Hospital, obtaining a recognition level of SILVER.
  • When a facility is recognized as Breastfeeding Friendly, they are implementing at least Four Steps (Bronze Level) that are evidence based to support breastfeeding and infant bonding.
  • Assisting Samaritan Hospital in establishing a Donor Milk Bank Program to support exclusive breastfeeding practices.
  • Aiding local businesses and establishing mothers' feeding rooms throughout Moses Lake. This includes our annual breastfeeding booth at the Moses Lake Spring Festival and the Grant County Fair, stop by this year and check it out!
  • Assistance and support of employers interested in implementing breastfeeding policies in the workplace to support nursing mothers.
  • Published a resource brochure for breastfeeding mothers for lactation services, support, and supplies. English (PDF) | Spanish (PDF)

Local Breastfeeding Resources:

  • Samaritan Hospital Lactation Office |509-793-9753
  • WIC | 509-766-9815
  • Maternity Support Services | 509-765-0674
  • Crossroads Pregnancy Center | 509-765-4425

Additional Documents:

Explore Local Events & Resources from the Grant County Breastfeeding Coalition page on Facebook