BETHESDA, Md.  –   Walter Reed National Military Medical Center stands as a designated “Baby-Friendly Hospital,” a distinction that reflects its rigorous adherence to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 10 steps to successful breastfeeding and mother-baby bonding. Originally designated by the WHO in 2017, Walter Reed is one of only 460 hospitals nationwide—and one of just three on a military installation—to hold this prestigious status.

Monica Brannon, Walter Reed’s lactation consultant, ensures mothers and families at the hospital never have to walk alone during their feeding journeys while highlighting the benefits of breastfeeding. Her efforts highlight not only the clinical benefits of breastfeeding but also the profound personal triumph it represents for service members.

"As an officer and surgeon, honor, duty, and commitment have always shaped how I serve,” shared U.S. Navy Lt. Cmdr. (Dr.) Ashley Bee Bozzay, a recent patient at Walter Reed. “Becoming a mother did not diminish those values. Returning to military service while breastfeeding made me wonder how I could honor all those commitments at once — [Brannon] never framed it as a choice. When others focused on why it couldn’t or shouldn’t work, she focused on how we would make it work. She showed me that these identities did not have to compete."

Brannon organizes creative, lighthearted initiatives throughout the month of August – National Breastfeeding Month. She gifts babies with sheriff-badge t-shirts reading "FBI" (Fully Breastfed Infant) and hands out mason jars of "lactation cookie mix" to mothers in her office. For the hospital staff, she provides "lactation bites" and decorates the ward, to highlight the benefits of breastfeeding.

"It’s a fun month," said Brannon. “I love promoting breastfeeding. It’s all about awareness.”

That positivity is a lifeline when the clinical reality of breastfeeding gets difficult. U.S. Army Master Sgt. Erika Grimm, currently the oboe section leader of the U.S. Army Field Band, faced an unexpected cesarean section, and a Walter Reed Neonatal Intensive Care Unit stay with the birth of her twins.

"I didn't really know if breastfeeding would be part of our journey," recalled Grimm. Thanks to the daily practice and guidance at Walter Reed, her twins were able to transition from using nursing shields to direct breastfeeding and have been doing so for almost nine months. “I could not have done it without Monica and the staff."

U.S. Army Capt. (Dr.) Karina Kauffman Brown, a Walter Reed pediatrics resident and first-time mom, found her footing through the hospital's robust support system.

"[Brannon and staff’s] knowledge, compassion, and encouragement have shown me that breastfeeding support is essential," Kauffman Brown noted. "I truly do not think we would have been able to establish the positive, functional breastfeeding relationship we have today without them."

According to the Center for Disease Control, breastfeeding can help protect against some illnesses, sharing antibodies from the mother to the baby, and can provide nutrition as well as convenience. For those who can breastfeed, it can also reduce the mother's risk of breast and ovarian cancer, type 2 diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Though it is not always possible for all, the resources and staff at Walter Reed allow mothers to feel supported in their journey.

"I feel so honored and very fortunate to be part of so many families’ breastfeeding journeys," Brannon said.