“Researching the Infant Ready Program Through Birthmark Doula”
by Khira Hickbottom
This summer I had the privilege of continuing my work as a research intern with Birthmark Doula Collective and the New Orleans Breastfeeding Center (NOBC). In May of 2021, I began assisting them with the preliminary stages of conducting qualitative research concerning the effectiveness of their Infant Ready Program, as well as the correlation between low breastfeeding rates and high vulnerability to disaster. In the past year, this has included creating flyers, sending text messages and emails, and attending regular research team meetings and taking comprehensive notes.
Infant Ready seeks to equip southern caregivers with the resources and information they need to safely feed their infants and toddlers during an emergency. First deployed in 2020 after Hurricane Laura devastated Lake Charles and its surrounding areas, Infant Ready has provided countless families with clean feeding supplies, expert advice from doulas and lactation counselors, and access to mutual aid.