Guam Mamas
Breastfeeding Support
About Us
Guam Mamas was created in 2013 for the mothers of Guam as a resource to seek support, information, and assistance with breastfeeding.
Guam Mamas was born out of necessity after the freshly established La Leche League group outpost on Guam unfortunately dissolved in 2013. With little breastfeeding support for mamas, the idea of creating Guam Mamas was conceived. We began on Facebook, armed with only a page, a private group, & a small handful of passionate mamas. We really began to blossom when we joined forces with Sagua Mañagu's bi-weekly "Breastfeeding Cafes," hosted by a well-known childbirth education & lactation guru on Guam, Barbara Mafnas (A.K.A. Nurse Barb). Using Facebook as a platform, Guam Mamas began to advertise the newly named "Breastfeeding Socials" to spread the word to mamas. Through Facebook & word-of-mouth, we have grown and helped countless mamas electronically through Facebook, emails, phone calls, & texts; one-on-one through our private consulations & home visits; and through eachother, with mother-to-mother support, at our empowering Breastfeeding Socials.
Our Mission:
To collaboratively promote, protect, and support breastfeeding and human milk as the superior and preferred food sources for newborns, infants, and children of Guam and the Marianas Islands.
Our Vision:
For local cultures to benefit from optimal health and wellness for maternal and child development, because benefits to mother and child are well documented, and breastfeeding and human milk is the standard and should be accepted as the norm for a feeding choice.
Meet Our Staff:
Kirsten Roberts, BS-MCH, IBCLC, ALC
Creator, Founder, & Lactation Consultant
Kirsten is an Air Force veteran, a military spouse & the proud mother of two children, both breastfed! The obstacles Kirsten faced in her early breastfeeding relationship, inspired her to begin schooling to become a lactation consultant in order to help other mamas reach their breastfeeding goals. She graduated from Union Institute & University with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Maternal Child Health: Lactation Consulting in December 2014. She is also an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), having certified in October 2015. She currently lives in Germany & supports Guam Mamas electronically through the website and Facebook page & private group.
Read her 2013 interview with Healthy Children Project's blog, Our Milky Way,
here.
Barbara Mafnas, BSN, RN, IBCLC
Founder, Lactation Consultant, Nurse, & Childbirth Educator
Barbara Mafnas is the mother of four. She and her family live on Mount Santa Rosa in Yigo. She and her husband decided to retire and make Guam their home. Upon graduation from nursing school she worked in a multi-practice clinic, where she discovered her love for families and more specifically women and children. She has dedicated her life to women’s health and empowerment.
To view Barbara's CV/Resume, click here.
Loren Williams, Peer Counselor
Breastfeeding Mother, Peer Counselor
Bio coming soon!
Interested in joining the Guam Mamas team?
