This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Breastfeeding her son on the TEDx stage is just the beginning. Mother and researcher Dr. Jenn Anderson is on a mission to transform entire cities across the U.S. into breastfeeding-friendly communities. She shares her own emotional breastfeeding journey, which has given her a passion to see that all breastfeeding mothers are supported when breastfeeding in public and are able to continue breastfeeding if they return to work.

Dr. Jenn Anderson is an Assistant Professor in the Communication Studies & Theatre Department at South Dakota State University. Dr. Anderson and Dr. Rebecca Keuhl serve as Co-Principal Investigators for the "Brookings Supports Breastfeeding" project supported by a Community Innovation grant from the Bush Foundation.

Dr. Anderson teaches and conducts research in the area of Health Communication, which is the study of the interaction between human communication and health outcomes. Dr. Anderson’s other current community-based health communication projects include expanding Brookings Health System’s prenatal education to the university campus and evaluating the Boys & Girls Club’s “Clubs Against Tobacco” Program. Her research has appeared in academic journals such as Health Communication, Journal of Health Communication, International Journal of Communication and Health, Journal of Applied Communication Research, Qualitative Health Research, and Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. In addition, Dr. Anderson teaches courses in Health Communication and recently developed an interdisciplinary Health Communication minor at SDSU.

Dr. Anderson gave birth to her first child, Winter James Anderson, on February 17, 2014 (8 weeks before his due date) via c-section, due to complications from eclampsia. Winter spent 31 days in the NICU, but he left the hospital exclusively breastfeeding and continues to do so at 8 months old.

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)