New Jersey Breastfeeding Coalition

03/16/2026

Breastfeeding gives babies a strong start—antibodies, nutrition, healthy growth—and benefits moms too.
But many who want to breastfeed can’t access the support they need. Ensuring moms have that support is key to helping them meet their goals.

Breastfeeding gives babies a strong start—antibodies, nutrition, healthy growth—and benefits moms too.

But many who want to breastfeed can’t access the support they need. Ensuring moms have that support is key to helping them meet their goals.

03/16/2026

Visit njsupportsbreastfeeding.org for more tips on preparing to breastfeed.

03/16/2026

Advice

Breastfeeding isn’t always easy — but these moms have been there, and they’re sharing what helped them keep going.

Visit njsupportsbreastfeeding.org for breastfeeding information and resources

03/16/2026

It's - check out our infographic in multiple languages for 7 steps to safer bedsharing.
[Image description: infographic with the following text 'Safe Sleep 7 smart steps to safer bedsharing. If you are breastfeeding, meet all seven for safer bedsharing.' Graphic of a no-smoking sign with text '1 - no smoking in the home or outside'. Graphic of no-alcohol sign with text '2 - sober adults, no alcohol, no drowsy meds.' Graphic of a breastfeeding dyad with text '3 - breastfeeding day and night'. Graphic of a smiling baby with text '4 - healthy baby, full term'.
Graphic of a smiling baby with text '5 - baby on back, face up'. Graphic of a swaddled baby with a red line through it with text '6 - no sweat, light clothing, no swaddling'. Graphic of a bed with text '7 - safe surface, no soft matress, no extra pillows, no toys, no tight or heavy covers. Clear of strings and cords. Gaps firmly filled: use rolled towels or baby blankets'. LLLI logo.]

03/16/2026

Breastfeeding has so many benefits for babies and moms! 🤱🏽
Discover all the amazing ways breastfeeding can lead to a healthier future for you and your baby.
https://www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding/features/breastfeeding-benefits.html?

03/16/2026

🥦🍎March is National Nutrition Month.
A healthy pregnancy includes nourishing choices – for both pregnant individuals and their babies. It’s recommended to eat a variety of healthy foods, ask your provider about supplements and make informed choices during your pregnancy and/or breastfeeding experience.
🌐Check out MyPlate.gov for information on healthy eating during pregnancy and while breastfeeding ➡️ https://bit.ly/4rhabRc.

🥦🍎March is National Nutrition Month.

A healthy pregnancy includes nourishing choices – for both pregnant individuals and their babies. It’s recommended to eat a variety of healthy foods, ask your provider about supplements and make informed choices during your pregnancy and/or breastfeeding experience.

🌐Check out MyPlate.gov for information on healthy eating during pregnancy and while breastfeeding ➡️ https://bit.ly/4rhabRc.

03/16/2026

Many partners are often told that the most meaningful way they can help with a new baby is by feeding them. In reality, especially in the early days, introducing bottles too soon can sometimes interrupt a baby’s learning process at the breast and may create extra work for you.
There are many other ways partners can make a huge difference during this time. Practical support might include bringing the baby to you for feeds, burping the baby afterward, handling diaper changes, or settling the baby after feeds. Partners can also take care of household tasks, refill your water and snacks, and make sure you have time to rest and recover. These kinds of support not only protect the breastfeeding relationship while it’s being established, but can also build their own strong bond with the baby and strengthen the bond with you!
[Image Description: Infographic featuring a father with an infant. Text reads, “Myth: The only way a partner can help with breastfeeding is by offering a bottle to baby. Fact: There are many ways to bond with a baby. In the early days, your partner can support that bond by caring for you. Over the long term, partners help by providing a loving, safe presence and showing children that love and comfort come in many forms—not just through food." The LLL USA logo sits below the text.]

Many partners are often told that the most meaningful way they can help with a new baby is by feeding them. In reality, especially in the early days, introducing bottles too soon can sometimes interrupt a baby’s learning process at the breast and may create extra work for you.

There are many other ways partners can make a huge difference during this time. Practical support might include bringing the baby to you for feeds, burping the baby afterward, handling diaper changes, or settling the baby after feeds. Partners can also take care of household tasks, refill your water and snacks, and make sure you have time to rest and recover. These kinds of support not only protect the breastfeeding relationship while it’s being established, but can also build their own strong bond with the baby and strengthen the bond with you!

[Image Description: Infographic featuring a father with an infant. Text reads, “Myth: The only way a partner can help with breastfeeding is by offering a bottle to baby. Fact: There are many ways to bond with a baby. In the early days, your partner can support that bond by caring for you. Over the long term, partners help by providing a loving, safe presence and showing children that love and comfort come in many forms—not just through food." The LLL USA logo sits below the text.]

03/16/2026

Getting started with WIC is worth it! Hear from a mom in Washington about why WIC is important to her family! 💞
“WIC matters to my family because it helps us get the nutrients we need for our meals. As a new family of 3, it helped us have a well-balanced diet. It also helped us not indulge in unhealthy foods. It helped us to get the proper foods we need over the past year for our son. This included formula, baby food, produce, any and all food from each stage of our son’s eating journey! Our family really enjoys WIC!”
- WIC mom from Washington and member of the Swinomish Tribe
Learn more about how WIC can support your family’s health by visiting www.signupwic.com to find a clinic near you! 🌟

_____
¡Vale la pena inscribirse en WIC! Una madre de Washington nos cuenta por qué WIC es importante para su familia. 💞
“WIC es muy importante para mi familia porque nos ayuda a acceder a los nutrientes que necesitamos para nuestras comidas. Como familia nueva de 3 integrantes, nos sirvió de mucho su ayuda para llevar una dieta bien equilibrada y evitar consumir alimentos poco saludables. Nos ayudó a obtener los alimentos adecuados que necesitamos para nuestro hijo durante el año pasado, como leche de fórmula, alimentos para bebés, frutas y verduras frescas y todos los alimentos en cada etapa de su alimentación. ¡A nuestra familia le encanta WIC!”
- Madre de WIC, vive en Washington y pertenece a la tribu Swinomish
Obtén más información sobre cómo WIC puede contribuir a la salud de tu familia en www.signupwic.com/es y busca la clínica más cercana. 🌟

03/15/2026

03/15/2026

An Indigenous mother at the food market with her baby on her back. Carrying babies on the back is the way.

I met an Indigenous mother at the food market with her baby on her back. Carrying babies on the back is the way. Register in the bio. Shafiamonroe.com

03/15/2026

Dads who do this 1 thing help moms breastfeed longer—and science proves it

When fathers take at least two weeks of leave after their child’s birth, their partners are 31% more likely to still be breastfeeding at eight weeks.
By Elizabeth Tenety
Updated Mar. 14, 2025
"Breastfeeding is often seen as a mother’s journey, but new research shows that dads play a major role in whether moms are able to breastfeed successfully—and for how long.

A recent study from Northwestern University and Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago found that when fathers take at least two weeks of paternity leave after their child’s birth, their partners are 31% more likely to still be breastfeeding at eight weeks.

This groundbreaking research, published in BMC Public Health, is the first U.S. study to use father-reported data to analyze the link between paternity leave and breastfeeding. The takeaway? Dads aren’t just helpful in the newborn phase—they are crucial to breastfeeding success.

More paternity leave, more breastfeeding success
The study surveyed 240 employed fathers in Georgia and found that:

Fathers who took at least two weeks of leave were 31% more likely to report their infant being breastfed at eight weeks.
Among families who started breastfeeding, those where dads took two or more weeks of leave had a 25% higher rate of continued breastfeeding at eight weeks.
These trends remained even after adjusting for factors like paternal, maternal, and infant characteristics.
Dr. John James Parker, the study’s lead author, explains why dads’ time off makes such a big difference:

“Fathers can support breastfeeding by taking on hands-on baby care—changing diapers, burping, rocking, and feeding expressed milk—while also ensuring mothers get the nutrition, hydration, and rest they need to recover. All these father-supportive activities are easier when fathers have more generous leave.”

The challenges of paternity leave in the U.S.
Despite the benefits, paternity leave in the U.S. remains limited.

Only 13% of employers offer paid paternity leave to all male employees.
Most dads who receive paid leave take only one week or less.
While 13 states and Washington, D.C., have passed paid family leave laws, only nine states have fully implemented them.
The study also highlighted disparities in paid leave access:

White fathers were more likely to receive paid leave than fathers from other racial and ethnic groups.
Only half of employed fathers in the survey reported receiving any paid leave at all.
Related: Paternity leave benefits the whole family. So why aren’t dads taking it?

Why are dads left out of the breastfeeding conversation?
Dr. Parker, a pediatrician and father of three, was inspired to study this issue after realizing how absent fathers were from the medical conversation about breastfeeding.

“When I became a father, I realized how absent dads were from the conversation. In medical training, no one talked about involving dads or why that mattered.”

A turning point came when his pediatrician gave him tips on how to support his wife with breastfeeding.

“It made me feel part of the team. Now, I do the same for the dads I work with.”

What needs to change?
This research reinforces the importance of paid paternity leave policies that allow dads to be present and involved in those critical first weeks. Policymakers, employers, and healthcare providers all have a role to play in making sure families get the support they need.

Because when dads step up, moms win. And when moms win, so do babies.

Related: The first Congressman to take paternity leave wants more men to follow his lead

Sources:
Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) by State. Investopedia. Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) by State.
When dads take leave, moms breastfeed longer. Northwestern university. When dads take leave, moms breastfeed longer.
Paid Leave for Fathers: Policy, Practice, and Reform. National Library of Medicine. Paid Leave for Fathers: Policy, Practice, and Reform.
https://www.mother.ly/news/how-paternity-leave-helps-breastfeeding-success/?

03/15/2026

Oxytocin system of breastfeeding affected in mothers with postnatal depression
14 March 2025
The oxytocin system – which helps release breast milk and strengthens the bond between mother and baby – may be affected during breastfeeding in mothers experiencing postnatal depression, finds a new study by UCL researchers.
The new research, published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, investigated the link between maternal mood and the oxytocin pathway during breastfeeding, in mothers with and without symptoms of postnatal depression.
Oxytocin is a hormone that is released in both the brain and body. It plays a central role in childbirth and breastfeeding, and is involved in social relationships, especially intimacy, and the attachment process during infancy.
In breastfeeding, oxytocin triggers the ‘let-down’ reflex that releases the mother’s milk and is stimulated in both mothers and their baby by skin-to-skin touch.
Oxytocin release also interacts with specific brain regions to reduce stress and stimulate reward associated with this, facilitating mother-infant bonding and early infant development.
Mothers experiencing postnatal depression report increased stress during breastfeeding and early weaning. Although the social context related to a mother’s depression likely contributes to this, it has not been known whether the oxytocin system may also be affected.
In the UK, postnatal depression affects more than one in every 10 women within a year of giving birth, symptoms include persistent low mood, feeling agitated or irritable, and trouble sleeping,
For the new study, 62 new mothers aged between 23 and 44 years old, who had an infant between three and nine months old, were each given a nasal spray prior to breastfeeding, containing either oxytocin or a placebo.
Breast milk samples were collected during breastfeeding and analysed for oxytocin. The team found that oxytocin levels in breast milk were not affected by mothers’ mood at baseline.
However, while oxytocin was seen to increase in the breast milk of women without postnatal depression after using a nasal spray containing the hormone, this effect was reduced in mothers experiencing postnatal depression.
Lead author, Dr Kate Lindley Baron-Cohen (UCL Psychology & Language Sciences) said: “Our findings indicate that the oxytocin system is affected by postnatal depression in new mothers in the context of breastfeeding. Since higher levels of oxytocin in mothers are associated with positive outcomes in a child’s social development and in their mental health, these results point to a possible pathway through which infants of mothers experiencing postnatal depression may be at greater risk of later mental health vulnerabilities.”
These findings indicate a new direction for research, to further explore how oxytocin is affected in postnatal depression, and what the most effective treatment could be to support mothers who would like to breastfeed but are experiencing challenges.
The research was supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research ARC North Thames, the Lord Leonard and Lady Estelle Wolfson Foundation, the Wellcome Trust, the University of York, the Fund for Psychoanalytic Research through the American Psychoanalytic Association, the International Psychoanalytical Association, the Michael Samuel Charitable Trust, the Denman Charitable Trust, and the Galvani Foundation.
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/mar/oxytocin-system-breastfeeding-affected-mothers-postnatal-depression?

Reference:
Kate Lindley Baron-Cohen, Pasco Fearon, Ruth Feldman, Paul Hardiman, Orna Zagoory-Sharon, Elizabeth Meins, Peter Fonagy,
Intranasal oxytocin increases breast milk oxytocin, but has a reduced effect in depressed mothers: A randomized controlled trial,
Psychoneuroendocrinology,
Volume 174,
2025,
107374,
ISSN 0306-4530,
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107374.
(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306453025000976)
Abstract: Oxytocin (OT) plays pivotal roles in stress regulation, mother–infant bonding, and breastfeeding, all of which are adversely impacted by postnatal depression (PND). In a double-blind, randomized controlled trial, we assessed endogenous OT concentrations first in the breast milk of new mothers at baseline, and second following the administration of exogenous OT compared to a placebo delivered via a nasal spray.
Method
Participants were mothers (N = 62, aged 23–42 years) and their infants (aged 3–9 months). Each mother underwent screening for PND symptoms using the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale (EPDS). N = 26 mothers scored above the cut-off point (≥9) on the EPDS, and N = 36 mothers scored below. Breast milk samples, collected during breastfeeding, were assayed for OT content.
Results
Baseline endogenous OT concentration in breast milk was not associated with maternal low mood. Exogenous OT administration was associated with a significant increase in breast milk OT, but with reduced effect in mothers experiencing symptoms of PND compared to control mothers.
Conclusions
Future studies should test if breast milk OT exhibits a protective role against the developmental disadvantages of maternal PND on children. The current findings may reflect a possible disruption of the interaction between the central and peripheral OT pathways during breastfeeding in mothers experiencing symptoms of PND. These insights shed new light on the potential biological mechanisms involved in the transference of mental health vulnerabilities from mothers to infants.
Keywords: Breast milk; Oxytocin; Postnatal depression; Mood