Nurturing Life Foundation

Profiles

Breastfeeding Resource Center On Track The Taste Nurse-Family Partnership Realities For Children - Triumph Awards Maternal Wellness Center Women Build Program The Birds & The Bees & The Flowers & The Trees LLL Peer Counselor Program

Breastfeeding Resource Center
"Sandra" is an African-American mom from Philadelphia. She didn't breastfeed her first child 19 years ago, but wants very much to breastfeed her newborn twin girls. Her babies were not latching, but she was pumping 8 times a day and making almost enough milk for both babies. Feedings were taking over an hour and a half between practicing at the breast, pumping, bottle-feeding each baby and then cleaning pump parts and bottles. If she could get the babies to breast, she could simultaneously feed them.

We spent nearly 2 hours with this triad. We showed Sandra new latch techniques and both babies latched on and fed! We measured their intake at the breast and answered all of mom's breastfeeding questions. We sent letters to the babies' pediatrician and mom's obstetrician to ensure that everyone was working together for the same goal. We were also able to supply this mother with a twin nursing pillow which was donated by one our former clients.

Thank you again for your support! Please visit our webpage and Facebook page to learn more about the BRC!
Sincerely,
Janice McPhelin, IBCLC
Director of Development

On Track
"Audrey" is a 26- year-old mother of three with an extensive history of drug and alcohol use, which began when she was 18 years old. Audrey was raised by her grandmother because her own mother was an addict and is still battling her addiction. Audrey has been in and out of residential and outpatient alcohol and drug treatment programs for the last several years and has been incarcerated multiple times for her drug use and criminal behavior. In addition she was a victim of domestic violence by her former husband. Continue...

The Taste
Support from THE TASTE 2008 allowed the Food Bank for Larimer County to serve up 46,333 meals through Kids Cafe, provide free food to more than 21,000 unduplicated residents through Food Share and distribute two million dollars worth of donated food to 70 other area non-profits. Support from THE TASTE 2008 allowed Neighbor to Neighbor to assist over 700 homeless and renter households to identify, secure, and maintain affordable, sustainable housing through their Renter Program; offer an Affordable Housing Program, providing 149 safe, decent apartments to low-income renters; and helped over 300 families work toward successful home ownership.
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Nurse-Family Partnership
Thank you for the generous donation that enables the Larimer County Department of Health and Environment, Nurse-Family Partnership Program to purchase three Medela Lactina breast pumps. The pumps are currently assigned to newly breast-feeding mothers to promote and support their ability in providing nourishing breast milk to their child.

Five Nurse-Family Partnership nurses in November 2007 received Certified Lactation Consultant designation. The breast pumps are greatly appreciated in the work that we do with families to assist them with breast-feeding initiation and duration. The nurses will bring back comments from the families in regard to their breast-feeding experience and how the breast pump enhanced their ability to meet breast-feeding goals. This information will be shared with the Nurturing Life Foundation.

On behalf of the Nurse-Family Partnership team, we thank you for the support and contribution to our community to support and protect breast-feeding.

Sincerely,
Brenda Graves, RN, BSN, CLC
Supervisor Nurse-Family Partnership

Thank you for making it possible for us to provide Medela breast pumps to our clients in the Nurse-Family Partnership (NFP) - it makes it possible for many of them to continue breastfeeding and everyone benefits! It has also helped us achieve success in one of our key goal areas: to increase breastfeeding rates in the population we serve - first-time, at risk mothers.

Sincerely,
Denise Baretich, R.N.

Dear Nurse-Family Partnership: Thank you so much for lending me the electric double breast pump. It has been so efficient for my line of work. I'm a waitress on the weekend shifts. I only get short, limited breaks. Your pump let me stock up my baby's supply in no time at all. It has also come in handy when I traveled, and will no doubt be helpful with my son's upcoming surgery and extended hospital stay. I would recommend your program and the breast pumps to all busy moms. Thanks so much.
Sincerely,
Amanda Theilig

I appreciate the electric breast pump so much! Thank you very much, it is a blessing.

Dear Motherlove: Thank you for providing such a wonderful pump to the Nurse-Family Partnership. I was fortunate enough to get to use one. It helped me greatly.

Thanks,
Jessica

Thanks so much for letting me use the breastpump. It has helped me so much. I'm back at work so it's been great being able to pump while I'm there so I can still breastfeed. I could not afford one by myself. Thanks for helping me breastfeed. You are a life saver!

Thanks so so much,
Lauren and Adyson
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Realities For Children - Triumph Awards
The Realities For Children Triumph Awards recognize and honor exceptional youth who not only survived the adversities of childhood abuse, but have also triumphed over them personally, socially and academically.

"I am not going to dwell in the shadows of my fears forever. I am not going to let adversity triumph over me."
—Elizabeth - Triumph Award Winner

"By reaching out to others for help I found a lifeline, I found a home."
—Norma - Triumph Award Winner
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The Maternal Wellness Center - Philadelphia, PA
One of our clients is a teen parent who really hoped for an unmedicated birth. Breastfeeding was very important to her and she understood that more interventions at birth may interfere with her ability to nurse her baby. She had a doctor who was not supportive of natural birth; he basically told her that her birth plan was his agenda. We were able to get a volunteer birth doula for her and she participated in childbirth education and breastfeeding classes. She also received one of our fabulous nurturing massages! Well, although she and her partner were both teens and were not birthing in the most supportive environment imaginable, she was able to deliver her baby without any medical interventions whatsoever. She has been breastfeeding without any problems and has described her transition to motherhood as excellent. She serves as an example not only to other teen moms but also to older women she has met at the Center who have been impressed with both her knowledge and her commitment to her daughter. Continue...
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Women Build Program
Leah has been working with Women Build for over a year in preparation for building her house. Many of the stud walls in her home were painted over the last 6 months by women who wanted to put their personal touch into the walls of Leah's home. One says "Create peace in this house" and another one says "Reach for the stars". Her house will be filled with good wishes and prayers and positive energy from countless women who contributed their time, energy, and talents to building her home.
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The Birds & The Bees & The Flowers & The Trees
A collaboration between the Pueblo City - County Health Department and MPEC
Thirteen girls enjoyed three days of hiking, journaling, talking and sharing during the very first Birds and Bees camp at Mountain Park Environmental Center June 2-4. All of the participants reported more positive nature attitudes and 62% reported higher self-esteem. Evaluation Report

I have a daughter who has attended the Mountain Pathways Camp the last couple years. I wanted to take a moment to let you know how much she has enjoyed attending Mountain Pathways. After the first year, she was so excited about all she had learned and she absolutely loves spending time in the mountains now. She can't wait to go back each year. It is wonderful to see her becoming a young woman with confidence and leadership skills, some of which are directly attributable to the program. I believe she is too old to attend this year, but she has asked about volunteering at the park and with the program...just so she can go back again. I think this is a very worthwhile program for young ladies and certainly hope you can continue providing it for more girls...it is so hard to find good influences for girls this age and I know my daughter sure loved the instructors and the time she spent with them.
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LLL Peer Counselor Program
“Each woman was touched by your generosity and they are making strides forward to bring breastfeeding support to their respective areas.”
—Kathy Baker, Peer Couselor Program Manager

The first scholarship recipient was Sara Goff in Fort Campbell, KY.
She writes:

May 1st, 2006
Dear Nurturing Life Foundation,

Thank-you so much for your generous scholarship that enabled me to attend the LLLI Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Program Administrator Training. I am very excited to be writing to you about an opportunity we have to empower mothers at Fort Campbell, KY. I am an Army wife, mother of two, a La Leche League leader, and a La Leche League trained Peer Counselor Administrator/trainer. I have been working with mothers at Fort Campbell for over two years. I would like to share with you some of my experiences and how I believe we can empower military mothers creating successful breastfeeding relationships.

Imagine…… Sending your husband a Red Cross message to let him know his first son was born, 11:08 pm, 7 lbs. 6oz, lots of hair.
Imagine……. Daddy meeting his baby on the internet web camera. Knowing he is trying to hide his tears as he smiles at you over a fuzzy connection.
Imagine……. Dreaming of breastfeeding your baby during your whole pregnancy. Or just having the idea that you would like to “try that breastfeeding”. Only to be undermined by well-intentioned hospital staff, misunderstood by your friends, unsupported by your far away family. Everyone always has an opinion and most mean to share it with you. Your husband is unsure how he can bond with the baby if he isn’t able to feed him. Maybe I can’t do this?
Imagine…… No sleep. Not only because you have a newborn demanding your every second, but your husband is in a war zone…going to a war zone….leaving a war zone…or is deployed to who knows where and can’t tell you anything about it for security reasons.
Imagine….. You are the soldier, the mother, the wife. The pressure can be overwhelming. The breastfeeding support non-existent. Continue...