By Janiah Fladger, MPH Candidate
UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health
Field Placement with Breastfeed Durham, Summer 2025
When I joined Breastfeed Durham as their Summer Recruitment Coordinator, I knew I’d be supporting Step 6 of the Ten Steps to a Breastfeeding Family Friendly Community: making sure families feel breastfeeding support wherever they go. I didn’t realize that I’d spend the summer building data tools, knocking on doors, tabling at lakeside festivals, and hearing some of the most powerful stories I’ve ever encountered about feeding babies in public—and in private.
I thought I was here to help businesses apply for a recognition award. I now know I was helping build a system rooted in equity, presence, and visibility.
What I did:
- Maintained a real-time award tracking spreadsheet for over 200 businesses, helping the team track outreach status, follow-ups, and application progress
- Used ZIP code data to group outreach by region, identify underrepresented areas, and guide equitable strategy
- Designed materials like flyers, welcome packets, cling envelopes, and sign-in sheets for events
- Conducted in-person outreach across Durham, and engaged families at events like the Take No Bull Women’s Conference and Manifest RCC
- Spoke directly with business owners and patrons to encourage participation and reflect community values back into the program
Lessons for Other Communities Working on Step 6:
1. Visibility is a tool for systems change.
A simple cling in a window—like “Wonder Women Breastfeed”—can normalize lactation support, open conversations, and build momentum across sectors. But it only works when paired with meaningful, consistent outreach.
2. ZIP code data helps promote equity.
Without intentional tracking, some neighborhoods get overlooked. By grouping outreach geographically and mapping gaps, we made our efforts more just and efficient.
3. Systems are built through relationships.
Real public health progress happens through showing up. When families saw us at events—especially LGBTQ+ parents who rarely see themselves represented in lactation work—they knew this wasn’t performative. It was personal.
4. Affirming care means designing for everyone.
At the Manifest RCC event, I connected with transgender and nonbinary parents who spoke openly about how often they’re erased from maternal-child health conversations. Their feedback shaped the language we used, the materials we handed out, and the vision I’ll carry with me into my future work.
Reflections:
Before this placement, I thought “inclusive care” meant checking a box or writing better signage. What I learned is that inclusivity is a practice—and a promise. It means listening deeply, adjusting quickly, and recognizing whose needs have been historically ignored. I got to experience public health at its best: not from a distance, but right there on the ground, hand-delivering a cling sticker and having a 20-minute conversation about what support really looks like.
I leave this experience more confident, more grounded, and more committed to maternal and child health than ever before. To learn more about my experience and gain further insight into my work with businesses, please find my final report below: