National Breastfeeding Month – August 2022

Dr. Allison Stiles, Chair of the Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition

August is National Breastfeeding month and on this episode, my guest and I explore the health benefits to both mom and baby as well as the barriers to breastfeeding. Dr. Allison Stiles is a physician and advocate for breastfeeding and an advocate for underserved populations. Join us for this informative conversation.

More About Dr. Stiles:
Dr. Allison Stiles has been practicing Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, “Med-Peds” in Midtown Memphis since 2003 when she moved back to be closer to family. She had lived in Memphis from the age of 5 through high school at Central High. She attended the University of Missouri-Columbia where she received a BS in Biochemical Engineering in 1985. She worked for Procter and Gamble as an Engineer in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, Cincinnati, Ohio, Italy, and England. In 1995 she retired after 10 years and went to Medical School at the University of Cincinnati. Dr. Stiles did her Med-Peds (Internal Medicine and Pediatrics) residency at the University of Illinois- Chicago. She is double board certified in Pediatrics and Internal Medicine.

Practicing in Pediatrics and her experience with her own children led to her interest in Breastfeeding and “Lactivism”. She is Chair of the Shelby County Breastfeeding Coalition and a TN AAP Chapter Breastfeeding Coordinator. She received her certification as a Lactation Consultant in 2016. She has lectured on Breastfeeding for UT Medical students, Family Practice Residents, Pediatric Residents, and Midwives. She was a lecturer for the TN Breastfeeding Symposium 3 times and has taught a class for new Parents every month for over 5 years. She is a contributing author of the article, “Breastfeeding Sisters that are Receiving Support: Community-Based Peer Support Program Created for and by Women of Color, published in the Journal of Breastfeeding Medicine on 2/21.
Dr. Stiles has partnered with and supported OutMemphis, Friends for Life, and the Metamorphosis Center. She treats Transgender and Non-binary people to help them with their healthcare needs and to be their Primary Care doctor. She is one of the few Memphis providers of PrEP, to prevent HIV. She has been treating HIV for over 15 years.
Dr. Stiles is a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Physicians (ACP). She is a member of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, the AAP Section on Breastfeeding Medicine, the US Lactation Consultant Association, the International Lactation Consultant Association, the Memphis Pediatric Society, and the Memphis Medical Society. She is a member of the WPATH – the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and the Academy of Pediatrics –Section on LGBTQ.
Her Midtown practice, called “Memphis Internal Medicine and Pediatrics” is nearly 20 years old. She takes care of people of all ages, from newborns to Geriatrics. Dr. Stiles believes in science and compassionate care for all people without boundaries.

Resources:
www.shelbycountybreastfeeding.org

www.memphis-medpeds.com