About Us

The Oklahoma Breastfeeding Resource Center (OBRC) is a statewide resource for healthcare providers, organizations, and families, working to improve the care of nursing parents and children. OBRC provides breastfeeding education, advocacy, clinical care and research to promote innovative and interdisciplinary breastfeeding care throughout Oklahoma.  Thanks to federal Title V funding through the Oklahoma State Department of Health, OBRC offers the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline, a free 24/7 service where families can contact an I nternational Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) , the Becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma (BBFOK) program, a program that helps Oklahoma birthing hospitals to obtain Baby-Friendly Designati on, and numerous professional education offerings .  OBRC, as part of the Maternal/Child Health section in the Department of OB/GYN at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, provides an outpatient lactation clinic that is open to anyone, no matter where they delivered , and clinical training for IBCLC candidates . Additionally, the OBRC team has helped OU Health, OU Physicians, Oklahoma Children’s Hospital and the Stephenson Cancer Center achieve Oklahoma State Department of Health recognition as Breastfeeding-Friendly Worksites.

Our Mission

To improve breastfeeding outcomes through education, advocacy, clinical care and research. 

Our Vision

To promote innovative breastfeeding care in an interdisciplinary environment.

Our Contact Information

Please feel free to make use of anything you find on this site! With your commitment, together we can improve the health of our state by helping more mothers and babies successfully breastfeed.

Our Team

Becky Mannel, MPH, IBCLC, FILCA
Director

Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of OB/GYN

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics

Adjunct Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences

Rebecca-Mannel@ouhsc.edu

Jaclyn Huxford, RD, IBCLC
Assistant Director, Technical Operations

Coordinator, Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline

Lactation Consultant, Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline

Jaclyn-Huxford@ouhsc.edu

Amanda Parsons, MA, RDN/LD, IBCLC
Assistant Director, Clinical Operations

Perinatal/Early Childhood Dietitian, OU Physicians Women's Health

Lactation Consultant, OU Physicians Women's Health

Amanda-Parsons@ouhsc.edu

Sara Bellatti, MS, CLS
Finance & Admin. Coordinator

Education & Training Coordinator

Lactation Rotation Coordinator

Social Media & Web Management

Sara-Bellatti@ouhsc.edu

Mothers and families seeking help for personal breastfeeding needs should call the Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline at 877-271-MILK.

OBRC Organizational Chart

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Awards, Publications, & Research

Awards

  • Fellow of International Lactation Consultant Association (FILCA), International Lactation Consultant Association (Received), 2009 - Present
  • IBCLC Care Award, by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners and the International Lactation Consultant Association, 2018
  • Warren Crosby Champion in Maternal/Child Health Award, by Oklahoma Perinatal Quality Improvement Collaborative (Received), September 2017

Professional Presentations

  • Colindres, P., Mannel, R. L., "Outpatient Clinic: Lessons learned in operating outpatient lactation services", US Lactation Consultant Association, Online Webinar. September 2017.
  • Mannel, R. L., "Becoming Baby-Friendly in Oklahoma: Statewide Support for Improving Breastfeeding Outcomes", US Lactation Consultant Association National Conference, San Antonio, TX, Poster. May 2017.
  • Mannel, R. L., "The Oklahoma Breastfeeding Hotline: Increasing Access to IBCLC Services", US Lactation Consultant Association National Conference, San Antonio, TX, Poster. May 2017.

Books

  • Campbell, S., Lauwers, J., Mannel, R. L., Spencer, B. (Eds.), (2019). In Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care. Lactation Education Accreditation and Approval Review Committee. Jones and Bartlett.
  • Mannel, R. L., Martens, P., Walker, M. (Eds.), (2012). In ILCA Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice (3rd ed.). Jones and Bartlett.
  • Mannel, R. L., Martens, P., Walker, M. (Eds.), (2008). In ILCA Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice (2nd ed.). Jones and Bartlett.

Book Chapters

  • Mannel, R. L., Campbell, S. H., Stehel, E. K. (2019). Interdisciplinary Lactation Services. Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care. Core Curriculum for Interdisciplinary Lactation Care. Jones and Bartlett.
  • Mannel, R. L. (2018). Commercial Aspects of Breastfeeding: Products and Services. A State of the Art View on Human Milk and Lactation. Family Larrson-Rosenquist Foundation.
  • Mannel, R. L., Watson, G. C., Brooks, E. (2014). The Lactation Consultant: Roles and Responsibilities. In Wambach, K. (Ed.), Breastfeeding and Human Lactation (5th ed.). Jones and Bartlett.
  • Mannel, R. L. (2012). Developing and Managing a Hospital Lactation Service. ILCA Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice (3rd ed.). Jones and Bartlett.
  • Mannel, R. L., Walker, M. (2012). Human Milk Expression, Storage and Handling. ILCA Core Curriculum for Lactation Consultant Practice (3rd ed.). Jones and Bartlett.

Scientific/Scholarly Journals

  • Bennett, C., Mannel, R. L. (2018). Walking the Medicaid Policy Tightrope Between Long-Acting Reversible Contraception and Lactation. Journal of Human Lactation. Vol. 34(3) 433–437
  • Mannel, R. L., Peck, J. (2018). Outcomes Associated With Type of Milk Supplementation Among Late Preterm Infants. Journal of Obstetric, Gynecologic and Neonatal Nursing. DOI
  • Mannel, R. L., Dixon, I.* (2015). Breastfeeding was going well and now my nipples hurt: could my baby or I have a yeast infection? Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 31(2), 319-20. PMID: 25869193. DOI: 10.1177 / 0890334415574264
  • Mannel, R. L., Bacon, N. (2014). Hospital efforts to improve breastfeeding outcomes: becoming baby-friendly in Oklahoma. The Journal of the Oklahoma State Medical Association, 107(9-10), 485-92. PMID: 25790595.
  • Mannel, R. L., Dixon, I.* (2014). Overly Full Breasts (Engorgement). Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 30(3), 369-370. PMID: 25015999. DOI: 10.1177 / 0890334414535508
  • Parker, M., Mannel, R. L. (2013). What is human donor milk and why might my baby need it? Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 29(3), 421-2. PMID: 23855033. DOI: 10.1177 / 0890334413488240
  • Mannel, R. L. (2011). Defining lactation acuity to improve patient safety and outcomes. Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 27(2), 163-70. PMID: 21527797. DOI: 10.1177 / 0890334410397198
  • Mannel, R. L. (2010). Lactation rounds: a system to improve hospital productivity. Journal of human lactation : official journal of International Lactation Consultant Association, 26(4), 393-8. PMID: 20871092. DOI: 10.1177 / 0890334410377325