New Mexico, urge Governor Martinez to stand up for breastfeeding mothers!

Governor Martinez has 48 hours to sign three bills into law that support breastfeeding moms across New Mexico.

There are three bills sitting on Governor Martinez’s desk that support breastfeeding mothers. They’ve each passed both houses of the state legislature and have also garnered wide support from the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the New Mexico Pediatric Society, and the New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians.

The New Mexico legislature has done their job. Now it is up to Governor Martinez to stand up for breastfeeding mothers and sign these bills into law.

Here’s the scoop on the three bills and what they do:

HB 138 Lactation Care Provider Practice Act: Demand for lactation services are growing, yet currently, most New Mexico families can’t afford the out of pocket expense because care is not covered by insurance. HB 138 allows lactation care providers to become licensed, making them eligible for reimbursement through insurance companies.
HB 277 Lactation Policies for Female Inmates: This legislation would require correctional facilities to have policies in place to support lactation for their lactating inmates.
SB 277 Alternative Sentencing for Pregnant/Lactating Offenders: This would give the courts the discretion to sentence pregnant and lactating inmates to community custody, thus allowing them to be housed with their children.

Time is short! The Governor has until Friday to sign these bills and YOUR VOICE can help make this happen! Click here to send a quick note to Gov. Martinez now!

Dear Governor Martinez,

As your constituent and a member of MomsRising, I’m writing to urge you to stand up for breastfeeding moms and sign HB 138 Lactation Care Provider Act, HB 277 Lactation Policies for Female Inmates, and SB 277 Alternative Sentencing for Pregnant/Lactating Offenders into law.

These three bills would help breastfeeding mothers across New Mexico. They have garnered wide support from the American Congress of Obstetricians & Gynecologists, the New Mexico Pediatric Society, and the New Mexico Academy of Family Physicians.

The New Mexico legislature has done their job. Breastfeeding mothers are counting on you to sign them into law!

As you know, breastfeeding offers tremendous benefits to moms and babies, including improved health outcomes for both. Family, community, and professional support are critical to a successful breastfeeding relationship. But, professional support from lactation counselors can prove cost prohibitive for many families. HB 138 would expand patient access to 72% of babies born in New Mexico, including those who are covered by Medicaid. This bill also meets the Surgeon General's Call to Action to Support Breastfeeding by adopting its recommendation to expand licensure ensuring mom and baby receive quality lactation support.

Studies repeatedly show that having a parent in prison is an adverse childhood experience (ACE) that can have long-term negative impacts on children. HB 277 and SB 277 seek to minimize the impact in part by increasing the ability of these moms to breastfeed their children. Breastfeeding has been shown to increase bonding and attachment between mother and baby and also decrease the chance of that child experiencing abuse. It would also help interrupt cycles of poverty and incarceration for future generations of her family.

Please stand up for breastfeeding moms and sign HB 1389, HB 277, and SB 277 into law!

Thank you,

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