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    Lactation Support Program

    ѻƵ Children's Supports Breastfeeding

    At ѻƵ Children’s Hospital, Delaware, in Wilmington, Del., we recognize that breastfeeding is the optimal nutrition for infants. We’re devoted to providing support and education to help you successfully breastfeed your baby.

    ON THIS PAGE:

    Why Is Breastfeeding Beneficial to Babies and Moms?

    Breast milk is the preferred feeding for all infants and offers benefits not found in any substitute. It provides something called “passive immunity” for the baby, protecting the baby from a wide variety of bacterial and viral illnesses. Breastfeeding also can lead to better cognitive development, as well as physical and emotional benefits due to skin-to-skin contact.

    By breastfeeding, infants have a lesser chance of developing:

    • some allergies
    • type I diabetes
    • obesity
    • sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

    Mothers who breastfeed have shown improved postpartum (after birth) weight loss compared to those who chose not to breastfeed. Moms also gain emotional benefits from the close interaction with their babies. Breastfeeding can make life easier once you settle into a good routine, since there are no bottles and nipples to sterilize. It can also save money due to the high costs of formula and feeding supplies.

    By breastfeeding, mothers have a lower risk of:

    • breast and ovarian cancer
    • type 2 diabetes
    • postpartum depression

    Exclusive breastfeeding ensures the best possible health, developmental and psychosocial outcomes for both mother and child.

    Our Lactation Support Services

    At ѻƵ Children’s Hospital, Delaware, we offer a number of services for moms who are breastfeeding or pumping breast milk for their babies. Our entire multidisciplinary care team, including an international board-certified lactation consultant (or “IBCLC,” for short), serves as the “front line” for education, support and promoting a positive breastfeeding environment. With an IBCLC on staff, we provide optimal resources and support for mothers to begin and continue breastfeeding.

    We offer breastfeeding support to mothers in a number of ways:

    Inpatient Consults

    Each nurse has been educated on providing lactation support to our families. However, sometimes moms need extra support. A lactation consultant is available for those having a difficult time breastfeeding or pumping.

    Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Support

    Premature infants fed human milk receive significant benefits, including protection from a wide variety of bacterial and viral illnesses. And, premature babies who receive breast milk have improved developmental outcomes compared to those who are formula-fed. Also, babies who receive breast milk often experience shorter stays in the hospital (due to the health benefits).

    Breast milk provides a unique composition of nutrients and immune factors, which are particularly beneficial to premature infants and help to prevent or decrease the severity of diseases which include necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), upper respiratory infections and sepsis (when the immune system responds to an infection by attacking the body’s own organs and t