Healthy from the Start

Interior Health, Healthy From The Start Pilot Project ‒ Lactation Consultant for Pilot Phone/Video Line

From April 1/2024 to March 31/2025, our Breastfeeding Systems Change Project (BFSCP) ran a one-year pilot project in collaboration with Interior Health’s (IH’s) Healthy from the Start (HFS) program which provided support during pregnancy to mothers across IH. The BFSCP provided funds from our grant funders to hire a lactation consultant (IBCLC) to provide prenatal and postnatal breastfeeding support for mothers as part of the existing pregnancy phoneline. For several hours each day, via phone or video, the lactation consultant supported both moms and health care providers with breastfeeding questions and concerns.

We are very excited that at the conclusion of this successful one-year pilot, the breastfeeding component was permanently embedded into the HFS program. The HFS was redesigned from a pregnancy-only phone line to a line that also now supports mothers with breastfeeding questions and concerns prenatally and postnatally by phone. The line is also now expanded to video, and IBCLC consultants have been hired. All parents and health care providers can access support on this line.

Healthy from the Start Poster (click to download)

Health from the Start Rack Card (for clinic offices)