About Us
The Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition works to improve the nutritional status and overall health of families in Missouri by working collaboratively to promote, support, and protect breastfeeding in all Missouri communities.
Membership
Members are welcomed from all Missouri communities including but not limited to:
-Local Breastfeeding Coalitions
-Healthcare Facilities
-Work Sites
-Schools
-Faith Based Organizations
-Professional and Parenting Organizations
-Government
-Online Communities
-Cities & Towns throughout Missouri
Membership Benefits:
Coalition Meetings
Join coalition meetings, held every other month on the third Friday of odd months from 12-1pm via teleconference to stay up to date on lactation news and events throughout Missouri.
United States Breastfeeding Committee Membership
The Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition is a proud member of the United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC). Membership benefits from the USBC are passed on to our members including getting a seat at the table, access to exclusive tools, networking, and peer learning opportunities, exclusive discounts to conferences and trainings, and the opportunity for involvement.
Networking
Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition members are invited to join a private Facebook group to connect and build relationships year round.
Get Involved
We are always looking for people to get involved in advancing lactation throughout Missouri. We have an education, grant writing, legislative and conference planning committees. By working together, we are able to achieve big changes that would not be possible by one organization alone.
Meet Our Board Members
Shannon Schrum, Co-Chair
Shannon has been a Maternal Newborn Registered Nurse since 1991, practicing in several hospitals in the St. Louis area over the years. Shannon obtained her IBCLC in 2011 while working as a Mother Baby Nurse in a large hospital system. She began working solely as a Lactation Consultant part time at BJC’s Missouri Baptist Hospital, and soon got a full time Lactation Consultant position at SSM DePaul Hospital in St. Louis.
Shannon enjoys working with SSM System Wide leaders and teams maintaining Baby Friendly Hospital Designations. Shannon enjoys traveling amongst SSM hospitals in the St. Louis area supporting staff and Baby Friendly guidelines.
Shannon thrives in education and teaching opportunities. She has taught Maternal Newborn Nursing for multiple years in several universities in the St. Louis area.
She also enjoys speaking engagements sharing knowledge, experience and encouragement.
Shannon is actively involved in local, state and national breastfeeding coalitions and associations.
Shannon lives with her husband and sweet Labrador retriever, Joel. They have 3 successful adult children, 2 who are married. Shannon is beginning a new chapter being “Mimi” for her grandchildren.
Co-Chair
Stephanie Pruess, Secretary
Stephanie Pruess is the State Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Coordinator for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services, WIC and Nutrition Services. She is a Registered Dietitian and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). Prior to this position, she was the Southeast District Nutritionist for the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. She spent eight years working as the dietitian in local Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) clinics in Missouri and Illinois. She has worked in public health since 2006, which includes working as the lead dietitian on an obesity grant called Healthy and Active Communities in Missouri.
She has been a member of many local and state breastfeeding coalitions and has assisted in planning various conferences in Missouri and Illinois. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Dietetics at Missouri State University in Springfield, MO in 2005 and became an IBCLC in 2014.
Stephanie is married to her husband, Paul, and has two boys, Lucas and Charlie, both of whom she breastfed for a total of over five years. The breastfeeding knowledge and experience she has gained personally as well as in WIC fueled her passion to support breastfeeding mothers. She is dedicating to achieving a successful Breastfeeding Peer Counseling Program in the state of Missouri.
Kathy Mertzlufft, Treasurer
Kathy has been a member of the Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition since its founding in 2008, serving as treasurer since 2011. As a Registered Dietitian, Kathy has dedicated her career to improving health outcomes for families through various roles with the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services. Her experience includes positions as the Breastfeeding Peer Counselor Coordinator, State Breastfeeding Coordinator, and WIC Nutrition Coordinator.
After a fulfilling career with the State of Missouri, Kathy retired in 2019 from the Missouri Department of Mental Health. However, her passion for supporting families continues as she works part-time with the Missouri First Steps program, assisting families with children who have developmental disabilities and feeding disorders.
Outside of her professional endeavors, Kathy enjoys traveling, playing pickleball, and gardening. Kathy and her husband have one adult son and soon to be daughter in-law.
Juli Helfer, Website & Communications
Juli is a Registered Nurse and International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC). She began working as a labor and delivery nurse in 2011 at Twin Rivers Regional Hospital in Kennett, Missouri where her passion for helping breastfeeding mothers began. In 2018, she started her current role as WIC and Breastfeeding Coordinator at the Dunklin County Health Department. She served as the co-chair for the Missouri Breastfeeding Coalition for 3 years before transitioning to her current role as website and communications manager. She also is involved in several local breastfeeding coalitions throughout Southeast Missouri.
Juli has been married to her husband, Kyle, since 2011 and together they have three sons, Kane, Kason, and Kipton. Her personal breastfeeding experience fueled her desire to help other breastfeeding mothers. She enjoys spending her free time being a busy sports mom and relaxing by the pool.
