Breastfeeding Support
Even experienced moms can sometimes face challenges when it comes to breastfeeding. The team of lactation consultants at Reid Health is here to help you overcome those challenges.
Dedicated to breast feeding success
Breastfeeding is a natural process, but that doesn’t mean it’s always an easy one. It’s quite common for moms and their babies to experience breastfeeding challenges, at least during the first days and weeks of life.
At Reid Family Birthing Center, we’re here to help you breastfeed successfully. We have a team of certified lactation consultants with specialized knowledge about breastfeeding, and we offer many other support resources to help you feed your baby with less stress.
The best news? You can access their services right here in East Central Indiana and West Central Ohio, starting in the hospital when you deliver. There’s no need to travel to get the support you need.
Certified lactation consultants
A lactation consultant has specialized training in breastfeeding, and they can help families breastfeed infants from the first day of life. They help women overcome common breastfeeding issues, including:
- Breast conditions, such as clogged ducts, nipple pain, and mastitis (a type of breast infection)
- Difficulty getting your baby to latch
- Feeding a preemie, multiples, or babies with medical needs
- Producing too little or too much milk
- Using a breast pump
They can serve as a valuable friend and ally throughout your breastfeeding journey. You can see a lactation consultant while you’re pregnant, if you want to breastfeed but have questions, or at any point after delivery.
Lactation consultants provide science-backed tips for producing milk and positioning your baby so they get the nutrition they need. They can also help you navigate breastfeeding after you return to work and offer suggestions for calming a fussy baby.
Milk matters support group
Sometimes, the advice and friendship of other women breastfeeding their babies is just what you need to feel confident in your own journey.
Milk Matters is our mother-to-mother breastfeeding support group for all moms looking for extra help. Sponsored by Reid Health and the Wayne County Breastfeeding Coalition, this group focuses on addressing common breastfeeding questions and challenges. You can ask questions and get ideas from other moms while building new relationships with moms in the community.
Call (765) 935-8805 for more information about upcoming sessions.
Breastfeeding Class
Interested in breastfeeding but not sure if it’s right for you? Come to one of our breastfeeding classes.
This class offers evidence-based guidelines for getting off to a good start with your baby. It covers the basics of breastfeeding, and how to deal with challenges, and you’ll get to meet our certified lactation consultants before your baby arrives.
Support for the whole family at the Family Birthing Center
If you’re expecting a new addition, the Reid Health Family Birthing Center offers a comfortable, safe environment for mothers, their partners, and their family members to welcome their newest arrival.
Through the Family Birthing Center, expectant and new moms can access a variety of services, including our Shared Beginnings program, lactation consultants who are available 24/7, and many comforts to make your baby’s arrival as memorable as possible.
The many benefits of breastfeeding
The American Academy of Pediatrics and other health organizations recommend babies be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life. For babies 6 months and older, breast milk can be used along with other foods to provide balanced nutrition.
Breastfeeding can be challenging, but if you’re able to breastfeed, doing so offers benefits for your baby — and for you.
Breast milk evolves as your baby grows, ensuring your little one gets the nutrients needed at each stage of development. In addition to providing those nutrients, breast milk also contains important antibodies, which help protect a baby against illness.
Breastfed babies are also less likely to develop certain medical conditions, including asthma, obesity, Type 1 diabetes, sudden infant death syndrome, ear infections, and stomach bugs.
How does your health benefit? Women who breastfeed have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, ovarian cancer, and breast cancer.