Milton, FL – The Florida Department of Health in Santa Rosa County Women, Infant, and Children (DOH-Santa Rosa WIC) program is excited to announce the expansion of The Milky Way, breastfeeding support group to the new location in Gulf Breeze. The Milky Way helps to cultivate a mother-to-mother support network and to foster friendships among breastfeeding moms in the area.  All pregnant and/or breastfeeding mothers in the community are welcome, as well as nursing babies and toddlers.  

The Milky Way will now be held at the following locations:  

• Milton Location- 1^st and 3^rd Thursday of every month from 10-11:30 

Milton Public Library – 5541 Alabama Street, Milton  

• Midway Location- 2^nd and 4^th Friday of every month from 10 – 11:30 am.  

DOH-Santa Rosa WIC Lobby- 5840 Gulf Breeze Parkway, Gulf Breeze 

Program is hosted by Mallorie Lehman, Breastfeeding Peer Counselor, and Lis Jordan, IBCLC and WIC Breastfeeding Program Coordinator. The expansion of The Milky Way to the southern end of Santa Rosa County provides a closer location for our families in Gulf Breeze and Navarre to participate. “Peer support is an integral component of breastfeeding success” stated Mallorie Lehman, “Moms need each other, and our goal is to provide a safe space for them to cultivate relationships with other families in the community.”  

Pediatricians recommend that babies be fed only breast milk for the first 6 months of life. Exclusive breastfeeding for the first 6 months of life is linked to health benefits for mom and child. DOH-Santa Rosa strives to increase duration of breastfeeding among mothers and infants in Santa Rosa County. Lis Jordan states, “We believe that The Milky Way provides support that moms so desperately need to navigate their breastfeeding journeys to reach their personal breastfeeding goals.”  

For more information on The Milky Way, contact Lis Jordan at 850-564-2272 or Elisabeth.Jordan@flhealth.gov.  Additional information on WIC services and breastfeeding resources can be found at DOH-Santa Rosa or Florida Department of Health websites. 

About the Florida Department of Health 

The department, nationally accredited by the Public Health Accreditation Board, works to protect, promote and improve the health of all people in Florida through integrated state, county and community efforts. 

Follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter at @HealthyFla. For more information about the Florida Department of Health please visit www.FloridaHealth.gov.