“Breastfeeding: Heritage and Pride”

is a culturally sensitive peer counseling program to promote breastfeeding. It operates in both clinical and community based settings to provide the education and support needed for successful breastfeeding. The program’s unique service protocol includes a continuum of support during the prenatal to post partum periods, in the home and the hospital, in order to intervene at critical points where breastfeeding problems often lead to the decision to stop. Participants who have successfully breastfed are trained to provide education and support to those who are interested in breastfeeding. The program is a full partnership with both Hartford Hospital and the University of Connecticut Department of Nutritional Sciences. A case control evaluation of the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of the program is in its final stage. Effectiveness data, about to be made public, indicates statistically significant differences in both breasfeeding incidence and duration among women served by peer counselors.