How do Birth Sisters impact communities?
- The Birth Sisters program has been linked to significantly higher breastfeeding rates and fewer c-sections.
- Peer counseling has been recognized as one of the few interventions that consistently raise breastfeeding rates among minority women and low-income women, who breastfeed significantly less than white counterparts.
- Breastfeeding is linked to improved health outcomes for infants and mothers.
- The Birth Sisters Program also offers personal and professional growth opportunities for community women.
- For some, the program has provided an entryway into the workforce. Many have gone on to become nursing assistants, interpreters, nurses, midwives, and public health professionals.