6. How a hotline is transforming breastfeeding culture and access to care in Appalachia

In the Appalachian region, poverty is a huge concern. Too often, pregnant women miss appointments because they don't have the money for gas. Or they'll have a baby on Thursday and return to work on Monday because they need the paycheck. And breastfeeding can be seen as for "hillbillies" or "rednecks." For our guests today, they saw the problem and found a way to help - a hotline to address transportation gaps, access to care, and support during the pandemic.

Stephanie Hutchinson is the Founder and President of Appalachian Breastfeeding Network (ABN), Kate Tuttle is the membership chair of ABN, and Jeanna Spears is the ABN secretary and librarian.

Today's episode is hosted by Andrea Serano, Program Manager at Reaching Our Sisters Everywhere (ROSE).

Learn more about us, explore our resource center and find support for all maternal health professionals at MaternalHealthLearning.org.

Maternal Health Innovation is a product of the Maternal Health Learning and Innovation Center and is produced by Earfluence.

Music provided by Graham Makes.

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number U7CMC33636 State Maternal Health Innovation Support and Implementation Program Cooperative Agreement. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS, or the U.S. Government.