By Daily Press staff
Nurses, pediatricians and mothers all agree: Breastfeeding is best for your baby. The nutrients and antibodies in breast milk are essential to your baby’s development and health, and breast feeding is one of the most joyful moments a new mother and her baby can experience.
Nursing a newborn, however, is not always easy. First time mothers, in particular, often find the initial experience frustrating and confusing. The Lactation Station at Saint John’s Health Center will continue once the Women’s Health Center has moved to the fourth floor of the new inpatient pavilion.
Founded in 1998, the Lactation Station is a service dedicated to helping mothers learn breastfeeding techniques and committed to providing support throughout the nursing process.
After delivery, trained lactation educators visit recovering mothers in one of the 12 birthing suites available on the fourth floor of the new impatient pavilion to provide breast feeding support and encouragement. The free consultation assist patients with learning their babies’ feeding cues, proper positioning and latch-on techniques, issues arising from prematurity, breast augmentation or reduction, and breastfeeding in the workplace. The encouragement is reinforced through post-hospitalization visits and consultations.
“I try to see every new mother while they are in the hospital,” said Elaine Robertson, lactation educator. “There is a lot of misinformation out there, and new mothers need support and encouragement. What I find most satisfying is helping a mom and her baby come to a resolution about nursing.”
The Lactation Station offers a free breastfeeding support group to new mothers. Participants meet twice weekly to share the joys and trials of breastfeeding. The support group is supervised by a lactation educator who assists clients with breastfeeding problems, including sore nipples, engorgement, inadequate weight gain, nipple confusion, decreasing milk supply, returning to work, pumping, and the collection/storage of breast milk. The group meets at Saint John’s on Wednesdays and Fridays from noon to 1 p.m. For additional information, call (310) 829-8944.
The Lactation Station additionally provides a breastfeeding support line for mothers to call with questions or if they are experiencing any nursing problems. The support line number is (310) 829-8944.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 29, 2004. Read the original PDF.