Hi All,

I am back on Lactnet after a couple of years absence. So nice to "see" you again!

A reintroduction to me:

My name is Laura Beth Kerr Gilman and I live in Westchester County, NY. I have been a La Leche League Leader for 10 years. I am the mom of 4 great kids (the last of which we adopted and I posted about nursing her -- Barbara Latterner helped us so much -- shout out to you, Barb!-- she is 5 now, by the way! Time flies... ) For the last year I have been helping incarcerated moms in Bedford Hills Correctional Facility. This work has put a spring in my step as a Leader, to say the least. I could be having the lousiest morning, and then go on the inside for a couple of hours, and emerge a happy lady. 

I am currently looking into training two of these moms to be La Leche League Leaders themselves. These two moms mostly meet the prerequisites for leadership.  I am not aware of any La Leche League moms on the inside, past or present. I am not aware of any LCs working on the inside - wouldn't it be great if each correctional facility with pregnant mothers had an IBCLC on staff?!  

I have gone through the archives and read some posts on our work in prison, but there isn't much.  I would like to reach out to all of you who have some experience with working with incarcerated moms and their babies. I have some ideas (like getting a couple of hospital grade pumps in there!) and would love it if I don't have to re-invent the wheel, so to speak! I have read that there are 9 states that allow babies to stay with their moms in prison and 8 other states that allow nonviolent offenders to stay with their babies in half way houses. I would love to get the most updated information, as I don't completely trust google to tell me! 

I would love to get any input from you all, make any connections, read articles, etc.

Thank you all so much!

Much Love,
Laura Beth Kerr Gilman
LLLL Katonah, NY 

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