Breastfeeding in CdA (Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Sandpoint: 2014, renting, loan)

[Ruralmama06]

Hey everyone,

My husband is considering a position at North Idaho College in CdA (we currently live in Texas). I have been reading up on Coeur d'Alene and following lots of forums on it, but have not found any parenting groups or anything on Breastfeeding.

I am completing my education to become an RN/IBCLC and would like to know what the need/job market is for that in the Northern Idaho area. I am currently a Breastfeeding counselor who specializes in natural birth and Breastfeeding support. Is CdA Breastfeeding friendly or will I have to start from square 1?

My ultimate goal is to come a Family Nurse Practitioner and serve a rural community? Are there any towns around CdA that qualify as a critical shortage area for medical professionals? I would rather not have to pick up and move again after I complete my education in order to find a loan repayment program.

Any help would be appreciated!

[mistyriver]

My guess would be yes, there would be a market for it. And especially with the current economy I would think any sane person would be breastfeeding versus feeding formula. My cousin back in Delaware just stopped nursing due to a lack of support and fear and her baby is just a month old. I believe (but not sure) that there is a lack of nurse practitioners. I see one in Sandpoint and I know she's been trying to find help.

[IdaD]

I would google midwives in CDA and contact them to start with. I'm in Boise and lack boobs, but my wife doesn't and she was really into breastfeeding with our kids (our youngest recently recently quit). What I noticed here is that the midwife and doula community in Boise is really tight (and really large) and most everybody in that world is very into helping others get involved and connected - and they all had either direct ties or at least referrals they could make to specialists in the breastfeeding community. Really to me the breastfeeding support is tied directly to natural birth (or any birth for that matter) because you need that support immediately or it's so easy to get frustrated and quit trying. My guess is you're going to find a smaller and less developed natural birth/breastfeeding community in CDA, but I'm sure you won't be starting from square one. People in Idaho are independent and I think natural birth and breastfeeding tends to appeal to a lot of people here.

As an aside, the field you are going into is under served but incredibly important. Breastfeeding is so healthy for mom and baby, and it's free it can be a huge value for people with limited economic resources (like you're typically going to find in rural areas). Good luck - you're doing good work.

[AuburnAL]

Originally Posted by Ruralmama06

Is CdA Breastfeeding friendly or will I have to start from square 1?

Serious question that may sound mean or silly, but I guess I am completely clueless. Is this really an issue? Are there really places where someone would have to go in and campaign to get a significant number of new mothers to breastfeed their baby?

[Ruralmama06]

AuburnAL, not a silly question at all. It's not so much an issue of campaigning for moms to breastfeed, but since many of the older generations were formula fed, there are a LOT of misconceptions regarding Breastfeeding and honestly, the women becoming new moms just don't know how to do it (since most moms and grandmothers did not breastfeed).

The need for support, especially at the beginning, is HUGE for the successful Breastfeeding relationship and a big part of that is educating women and the community on the importance of it. From my research, Idaho is currently one of the only states who don't have a law protecting women from harassment for Breastfeeding in public, which prompted my question on the need/market for such a field.

Mistyriver, do you know the name of the clinic the nurse practitioner works at in SandPoint? I'd like to contact her and see if she would be willing to take on an intern.

Thank you!

[mistyriver]

From what I've seen...yeah. There is a correlation with breastfeeding and socioeconomic classes with the people least able to pay for formula opting to feed formula. It's also not as simple as one would think and if your mother didn't nurse, it helps to have someone to talk to about worries. Unfortunately some pro-breastfeeding groups like LaLeche tend to be a bit militant about it and turn people off instead of encouraging nursing.
Also with most new mothers returning to the work force out of necessity, BF counselors would be very helpful insofar as negotiating the problems associated with that.

My young cousin just stopped BF because her daughter dropped weight after birth (a very normal amount) but her mother and the father's mother both bottlefed thier children and were concerned about the baby getting enough and pressured her to quit and turn to bottle feeding instead. I had a wonderful pediatrician when I had my daughters who was extremely supportive and told me to just bring the babies in every day to weigh them if I was worried. I didn't but her support and encouragement made all the difference. Not many pediatricians are that supportive.

[LionFamily]

I'm past that age, but my understanding is that there are lots of midwives (and they tend to cover breastfeeding counseling as well) in this area already. Home births are fairly common. I'm in the Sandpoint area. FYI.

[IdaD]

Idaho moms push for change in breastfeeding law

A timely story.

[mtngirlatheart]

From this article (which was just published last year): Boise State Public Radio

91.8 percent of Idaho women breastfeed for at least some stretch of time. The national average is 76 percent. Breastfeeding rates tend to go down as babies grow. But in Idaho, 45 percent of moms are still nursing once the baby turns one. The national average is 27 percent.

So even though Idaho moms don't have a law protecting them (yet), they're still doing it and going strong! My first daughter was born in PA and I didn't have nearly the support with breastfeeding as I did with my other daughter who was born in (north) Idaho. It was such a positive experience for me as compared to my first.

[Ruralmama06]

So wonderful! I love hearing everyone's positive stories about Breastfeeding in Idaho!!