In Nome, teaching how ‘the first traditional food’ grows healthy families

Presented by Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium

Parents taking care of a newborn may face struggles they never expect when trying to breastfeed.

“Having someone on your side to help you navigate makes all the difference,” said Anna Aquuluk Ashenfelter, relief Women, Infants, & Children (WIC) breastfeeding peer counselor at Norton Sound Health Corporation in Nome.

In her role, Ashenfelter supports families through their breastfeeding journey. It’s a way to give back, she says, as her own family found local support during and after pregnancy.

“With this opportunity, I can help pay it forward,” she said.

Ashenfelter’s child was born a late preterm baby, arriving roughly a month early and underweight. With the support of lactation consultants at Norton Sound Health Corporation, Ashenfelter and her husband advocated to exclusively breastfeed their child. Hospital staff agreed but gave them strict weight check-ins.

The couple stuck to their goal. Four months later, their son’s weight had caught up to his peers. Today, he is a healthy three-year-old. Ashenfelter credits the help she received as the reason her family accomplished their goal.

In 2023, Norton Sound Health Corporation was awarded a regional grant through WIC to develop a breastfeeding peer counselor program. Ashenfelter quickly signed up. Now, she is one of two peer counselors helping women and families out of her Nome-based office.

“The program empowers local women to educate and support families new to breastfeeding,” said Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Coordinator and WIC Coordinator for Norton Sound Health Corporation, Hilary Fello. Fello is also a certified lactation counselor and has helped many women navigate breastfeeding.

Peer counselors provide “emotional support, reassurance, and a link to resources,” Fello said.

Part of WIC’s mission is breastfeeding and postpartum support for mothers. “Most mothers enrolled in WIC are open to breastfeeding,” said Fello. “One reason they may choose not to breastfeed is lack of resources and support in their family or local community.”

“We’re trying to bridge that gap,” said Fello.

The benefits of ‘the first traditional food’ go far beyond nutrition

Norton Sound Health Corporation’s effort to build a community of educators is part of a larger push to encourage breastfeeding statewide. In the Northwest Alaska community of Noorvik, residents are being trained as lactation counselors and Indigenous-specific lactation trainings were recently held in Kotzebue.

By forming a connection “one-on-one, parent-to-parent”, an environment of trust is created and education is more impactful, Ashenfelter said.

In Nome, Norton Sound Regional Hospital received a Baby Friendly Hospital designation,” said Nicole Santonastaso O’Neill, prevention program supervisor at Norton Sound Health Corporation and certified lactation counselor.

“We’ve been working to open up different avenues of support for moms that choose to breastfeed,” said Santonastaso O’Neill.

Ashenfelter was born and raised in Nome, with a population of about 3,600. Nome serves as a hub community for the region’s 16 surrounding communities.

“Breastfeeding is the first traditional food we can provide for our children. This is the way Indigenous families here in Alaska, whatever their tribal affiliation, have fed their babies,” said Ashenfelter.

Breastmilk is even more incredible in that it is “designed to meet the recipient,” said Ashenfelter. When the baby latches, the mother’s body can tell what nutrients the baby needs and produces them. This nutritious milk helps babies develop a healthy gut by creating a robust microbiome.

Breast milk has holistic health benefits, including anti-bacterial, anti-allergenic and anti-parasitic qualities. It reduces the risk of Type 2 diabetes, also called adult-onset diabetes, later in life — for both mother and children.

“Processes happen in the mother’s body, hormonally and naturally through breastfeeding, that reduce her risk of disease, too,” said Santonastaso O’Neill.

Breastfeeding also builds an emotional bond between mother and child. When parents choose not to breastfeed, families can also get the same bonding experience with skin-to-skin contact, said Ashenfelter.

“It’s going to help nurture and calm the baby and provide wonderful bonding time,” said Ashenfelter.

Parents can expect obstacles. Breastfeeding is time-consuming, especially in the first few months.

“I have not spoken to a parent who has breastfed who hasn’t had some sort of challenge,” Ashenfelter said. “My goal is to help parents overcome those challenges and help them meet their breastfeeding goals.”

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months and encourages breastfeeding for the first two years and beyond.

‘Many cultural practices for welcoming a newborn’

Alaska has some of the highest rates in the nation for breastfeeding initiation.

“That is very significant,” said Santonastaso O’Neill. “We are leaders in feeding our infants.”

“Breastfeeding is an economical and environmentally sound choice,” said Santonastaso O’Neill.

Breast milk is free, plentiful and nutritious, she said. Formula can be costly, especially in rural Alaska. Shortages in recent years have highlighted a need for breastfeeding.

“We don’t give women enough credit for making that choice to breastfeed and how that positively impacts our environment,” said Santonastaso O’Neill. “In Alaska, we are very aware of how our environment is changing and how that is impacting Indigenous people’s ability to access traditional foods. The choice to breastfeed protects our environment.”

Some parents may want to try breastfeeding but feel it is not possible. Mothers may turn to formula because they are juggling a busy schedule, or a medical issue prevents them from breastfeeding.

“Formula definitely has a purpose. We want to make sure babies are fed when they can’t be breastfed,” said Ashenfelter.

“There are many cultural practices for welcoming a newborn. Whatever the family decides, it is best for them.” said Ashenfelter. “It’s my job to support them.”

Many women would like to breastfeed but face obstacles. Norton Sound’s peer support counselors can help uplift women throughout the process, no matter their needs.

This story was sponsored by the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, a statewide nonprofit Tribal health organization designed to meet the unique health needs of more than 175,000 Alaska Native and American Indian people living in Alaska.

This story was produced by the sponsored content department of the Anchorage Daily News in collaboration with ANTHC. The ADN newsroom was not involved in its production.