 "Hi I’m Jenny Weaver and I am working to provide breastfeeding support particularly in the Boston area and outlying communities. Currently I work in both Dorchester and Mattapan. This work started when I was hired by Boston Medical Center to be the facilitator for a Baby Café, which meets twice weekly. It’s a drop-in group for families with babies even up to toddlers who are breastfeeding, or not breastfeeding. But our goal is to provide breastfeeding support for when families need it. That actually led me to providing breastfeeding support on a volunteer basis here in Mattapan. Also another big piece of this is my connection with Vital Village Boston Breastfeeding Coalition and the Vital Village Network, because we are working to build multiple sites for breastfeeding drop in support and the communities around Boston - Roxbury, Dorchester, Hyde Park, Mattapan and South Boston. I started as a nurse. I wanted to work with mothers and babies. That’s kind of all I knew. And around the time that I became a new nurse - which was about 29 years ago, the research on breastfeeding just started to blossom. And it was so amazing what was in breastmilk. And as the research progressed over the years. What the benefits were for the baby. And for the mother and the parents. And how good it is for the community. And for the environment. It filled so many ways that I would hope to give back to my community. So... I just grew to love helping the moms as a post-partum nurse. I developed an expertise in it, became certified and that was primarily the Boston area that I served. I worked at Beth Israel Deaconess. Left there. Worked at a practice. OBGYN practice at Harvard Vanguard, in Copley in Boston and then also in Cambridge. I had many a good year there. It was a very good job, but as I got older, I realized I wanted to pay it forward and so hence my work. I hope we can provide support where there has been a lack. And also, I’ve been meeting so many wonderful families, and mothers and babies and it just continues to inspire me.” Thank you so much Jenny for all you do for our families. You’ve been a consistent face for the past five years and we appreciate your service. Jenny Weaver is a registered Nurse and an IBCLC and leader at two of Boston’s breastfeeding groups.
If you are interested in joining the Mattapan Breastfeeding Drop In Group, check out the information below. MONDAYS Mattapan Family and Community Engagement Hugs and Play Group Mattapan Library 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan 10:30am - 12:30pm Jenny Weaver RN, IBCLC Vickey Siggers (617) 980-0970 Haitian Creole & French speaking Codman Square Health Center Baby Café 637 Washington Street, Dorchester Group Visit Room 2 5:00pm - 6:30pm Jenny Weaver RN, IBCLC (617) 414-4370 If you are not local to Mattapan, check out the calendar for a drop-in group near you. WEDNESDAYS Codman Square Health Center Baby Café 637 Washington Street, Dorchester Group Visit Room 2 2:00pm - 4:00pm Jenny Weaver RN, IBCLC (617) 414-4370 About the interviewer: Dominique is a Boston resident, breastfeeding supporter and blogger behind DommiesBlessed.
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Coalition Champions: Vickey Siggers 90-Day Challenge Turns Into Mattapan’s Only Breastfeeding Group10/12/2018  “I was asked if I wouldn’t mind doing a 90 Day Challenge. The Challenge was to have a breastfeeding drop-in at our Mattapan Hugs & Playgroup. At the time, we were just getting started and we didn’t have a lot of participants. Jenny Weaver, RN, IBCLC and Berthilde Sylvester wanted to help build it up by incorporating breastfeeding moms. They came in January - which was challenging because it was winter. And for three months we did outreach. But we weren’t really successful. I was really wondering if this was a good idea to have a breastfeeding group at our play group. At the time, we were really focusing on engaging parents with their children, playing with their children and reading to their children. Fortunately, Jenny and Berthilde decided that they would stay. So we decided to focus on moms that had just delivered from Boston Medical Center. Berthilde went through the list of families who just had babies and invited them to the play group. After a while it really started to grow. So we incorporated the breastfeeding with the playgroup. We had reading, circle time and story time all in one and it really has been an important piece for the playgroup. It’s a place where moms and families can come and talk to a lactation consultant about challenges that they may be having. They also learn about all the other services we provide. So the breastfeeding group really has enriched the Mattapan’s Hugs and Play group - and I’m so grateful for it. It’s the only support group in Mattapan for families. I feel very honored and blessed that I am able to be a part of this journey.” Vickey Siggers is a Peer counselor.
She also works with the Mattapan Family Engagement Network, Mattapan Food & Fitness Coalition, Mattapan Farmers Market and is a Mattapan Resident We are so grateful she took the time to talk to us about her involvement with the Boston Breastfeeding Coalition. If you are interested in joining the Mattapan Breastfeeding Drop In Group, check out the information below. MONDAYS Mattapan Library 1350 Blue Hill Avenue, Mattapan 10:30am - 12:30pm Jenny Weaver RN, IBCLC Vickey Siggers (617) 980-0970 Haitian Creole & French speaking If you are not local to Mattapan, check out the calendar for a drop-in group near you. About the author: Dominique is a Boston resident, breastfeeding supporter and blogger behind DommiesBlessed. |
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