Creating More Supportive Communities for Breastfeeding and Chestfeeding Families
August is National Breastfeeding Month, a time to recognize the importance of breastfeeding and chestfeeding, raise awareness about the support families need, and celebrate the many ways communities can help parents meet their infant feeding goals.
The 2026 National Breastfeeding Month theme is RISE: Resilience, Interdependence, Self-Determination, Empowerment. The theme highlights the strength of families and the importance of creating communities, systems, and policies that support babies and families.
Breastfeeding and chestfeeding can provide important health benefits for babies and parents. Human milk provides nutrients and antibodies that support infant growth and development and help protect against some infections and illnesses. For lactating parents, breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancers, Type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding also releases oxytocin, a hormone that helps the uterus return to its normal size after birth and may reduce postpartum bleeding.
At the same time, every family’s feeding journey is different. Some parents breastfeed or chestfeed, some pump and provide human milk, some use formula, and some use a combination of feeding methods. Infant feeding is a personal decision, and parents deserve accurate information, compassionate support, and the freedom to make the choices that are right for themselves and their babies.
Making Community Events More Welcoming
One way communities can provide meaningful support is by making public spaces more welcoming and accessible to families with infants and young children. A welcoming place to feed a baby at a community event can make a meaningful difference. So can a supportive health care provider, a peer counselor, a workplace with appropriate space and break time, or a community organization that understands the needs of families with young children.
Healthy Acadia offers a Lactation Tent loan program for organizations hosting public community events throughout Hancock and Washington counties, and beyond. The program helps create a private, comfortable, and welcoming space where parents can breastfeed, chestfeed, or pump while participating in community gatherings.
The Lactation Tent is a portable 10-by-10-foot event tent designed for indoor or outdoor use. It includes:
Tent weights and stakes for stability
A rocking lawn chair
A foldable footstool
A side table
Signage
A changing station
Toys and books for older siblings
Optional comfort and educational materials
The tent can be assembled by one person or with a group, and setup instructions are provided. A video demonstration is also available to help event organizers set up the tent with ease.
The Lactation Tent is intended for use at public community events, rather than for personal rentals. There is no fee to use the tent.
Healthy Acadia may also loan the tent to HEAL Coordinators and PROSPER Initiative counties outside Hancock and Washington counties, based on availability. When scheduling conflicts occur, priority is given to events in Downeast Maine.
Request the Healthy Acadia Lactation Tent
Community organizations planning a public event can request the Lactation Tent through the Lactation Tent Use Request Form on the Healthy Acadia website.
For more information, contact Sandy Fortin at sandy.fortin@healthyacadia.org or Maddie Comiskey at maddie.comiskey@healthyacadia.org.
The Lactation Tent loan program is made possible through the PROSPER Initiative, which provides resource navigation and support for parents and families with young children affected by substance use disorder. PROSPER is a collaborative partnership between Downeast Community Hospital, Healthy Acadia, Maine Families, Mount Desert Island Hospital, Northern Light Blue Hill Hospital, Northern Light Eastern Maine Medical Center, Northern Light Maine Coast Hospital, and Pleasant Point Health Center, Passamaquoddy Tribe.
Support Helps Families Meet Their Goals
Creating welcoming community spaces is just one part of supporting breastfeeding and chestfeeding families. Parents may also benefit from lactation support, peer counseling, health care, nutrition assistance, and practical resources.
Maine WIC provides nutrition education, breastfeeding counseling and support, referrals, and food benefits for eligible pregnant and postpartum people, infants, and children up to age 5. WIC also provides loaner breast pumps to breastfeeding participants.
Maine WIC is available to eligible families throughout Hancock and Washington counties through Maine Family Planning, with offices in Ellsworth, Machias, and Calais:
Ellsworth: 207-667-5304
Machias: 207-255-8280
Calais: 207-454-3634
Families can contact their local WIC office to learn about eligibility, services, and available support.
Learn more about Maine WIC and find local support
La Leche League offers peer-to-peer breastfeeding support for families, including virtual options that can be especially helpful for people living in rural or remote communities. Peer support can provide encouragement, information, and connection throughout the breastfeeding or chestfeeding journey.
Health care providers and lactation professionals can also help families navigate questions or challenges related to feeding, pumping, returning to work or school, milk supply, positioning and latch, or other concerns. Parents experiencing persistent pain, feeding difficulties, or concerns about their or their baby's health should reach out to a health care provider or qualified lactation professional.
Breastfeeding does not always go as planned, and challenges can affect a parent's feeding goals. Support can make a meaningful difference. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists notes that challenges such as persistent pain, concerns about milk supply, difficulty with latch, and barriers related to work can contribute to early, undesired weaning.
Support for postpartum mental health is important, too. Postpartum depression is a serious and treatable health condition, and parents experiencing persistent sadness, anxiety, hopelessness, or other concerning symptoms should talk with a health care provider. Breastfeeding challenges and postpartum mental health can sometimes overlap, making compassionate, accessible support especially important.
Whether you are expecting a baby, a new parent, returning to work or school, or simply looking for support, you do not have to navigate your infant feeding journey alone.