Breastfeeding is the best source of nutrition for infants, and research emphasizes the benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and infant (American Academy of Pediatrics, 2012; Ip et al., 2007). The American Academy of Pediatrics (2012) recommends exclusive breastfeeding for about the first 6 months of life, and continued breastfeeding for 1 year or longer. In the United States, only 24.9% of infants are exclusively breastfed for 6 months and 33.7% receive any human milk at 12 months (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2017a). Furthermore, there are disparities among rates of initiation and duration: Rates are lowest for infants who are non-Hispanic Black, living in rural areas, or living in the southeastern United States (CDC, 2017a).

The Michigan Department of Community Health (MDCH) funded 9 local breastfeeding coalitions to implement breastfeeding support groups and to develop breastfeeding resources for mothers and health professionals. The authors conducted qualitative analyses of reports, success stories, and MDCH grantees' interview responses (via follow-up call with 3 coalitions) to assess key barriers, facilitators, and lessons learned for coalitions implementing breastfeeding support groups. Coalitions noted implementation barriers related to their organizational structure and to recruiting mothers and finding meeting locations. Facilitators to implementing breastfeeding support groups included referrals, expertise, resources, and incentives. The following themes emerged from the reports analysis regarding how to implement breastfeeding support groups: "meet moms where they are," build community partnerships, and leverage in-kind and financial resources to sustain breastfeeding support groups.