Your Partner

Breastfeeding is a family affair! Sometimes partners may feel a little bit left out since mom is the only one able to breastfeed the baby – but science says that partners matter!

When a mother has the support and encouragement of her partner, she is more likely to meet her breastfeeding goals and have a longer duration of time breastfeeding.

So what can you do as a partner to support mom and baby?

• Learn ahead of time about breastfeeding and what you and your partner can expect
• Advocate for mother and her feeding preferences, especially if extended family have differing opinions
• Help out making sure mom is fed and watered as she is feeding baby
• Hold baby at night to give mom longer stretches of sleep in between feeds if needed! Taking baby out to a separate area to get the baby burped, changed and settled back to sleep can help so that mom can fall back asleep easier after nursing
• Washing pump and bottle parts if mom has to express her breastmilk
• Protect mom’s peace by limiting visitors
• Give mom the support and reassurance that she is doing a great job and that she can do it!

How will I bond with baby?

• Partners can do skin-to-skin or kangaroo care starting day one – hugs and cuddles are soothing for both you and baby
• Talk and sing to your baby from the start – they often recognize your voice from in utero
• Partners can go on walks and put baby in a sling or carrier which can help them soothe and rest
• Don’t worry – there will be plenty of help needed with taking care of baby outside of just feeding - you will become a pro at burping baby in between or after feedings, changing diapers, swaddling, and getting the hang of calming and settling baby down!

Grandparents

If your mother breastfed you, she will be more likely to support your breastfeeding journey right away. But don’t worry—even if you were not breastfed, Grandma should support your feeding plans once she hears your reasons and all the benefits of breastfeeding for her grandchild!

In those first few weeks, let your mom mother you again—helping around the house, fixing your meals, or holding her new grandbaby so you can have some personal time. This applies to mothers-in-law, aunts or any special support people in your life!

Your OB/GYN or Midwife

Getting good prenatal care is very important for you and your baby’s health. Your OB/GYN or midwife should talk to you about the benefits of breastfeeding during your prenatal visits - for baby and you!

Talk to them about prescribing a pump for you as the pregnancy progresses – this should be covered by insurance and is important to have arranged before the birth hospitalization. Even if you do not plan on working outside the home, a pump sometimes is necessary at the start to spur your milk production if baby has difficulty latching directly at the breast.

Other Moms

When you’re pregnant or a new mom, it helps to talk to other moms who know from experience what you’re going through. You can connect with moms in your community who are already parents, who you meet through breastfeeding or prenatal classes, or in online groups.

If you don’t already have many women in your own village to talk to, groups like La Leche League, Breastfeeding USA, All Moms Empowered to Nurse (AMEN), and WIC offer free, trained breastfeeding peer counselors. Peer counselors are moms in your community who breastfed their own babies and can give you lots of helpful tips and tricks on how to be successful in your breastfeeding journey, such as:

• Tips for how to breastfeed comfortably, even in public
• Ways you can stay close to your baby through breastfeeding after you return to work or school
• Ideas for getting support from your family and friends
• Ways to get a good start with breastfeeding
• Tips for making plenty of breast milk for your baby
• Help with breastfeeding concerns

WIC peer counselors can talk with you in the WIC clinic, email, text, social media, in the hospital, or sometimes they even make home visits.

The Birth Hospital

It is a good idea to check out the place where you’ll deliver and talk to friends and family to hear their opinions on the differing facilities. All birth hospitals and centers should be well equipped to support your breastfeeding plans with policies to support immediate skin-to-skin time after birth and other breastfeeding friendly practices. Hospitals are graded on how “baby friendly” they are, or how well they practice evidence-based guidelines to help promote breastfeeding.

Postpartum nurses are well-versed in helping moms establish a good latch and triage through potential breastfeeding difficulties. Our local hospitals have in-house lactation consultants to help as well. If supplementation is medically indicated, some of our community hospitals even offer donor breastmilk to bridge the gap till your milk comes in more fully.

Many of the birth hospitals have warmlines – phone numbers that you can contact during daytime hours to discuss breastfeeding issues as well as breastfeeding support groups.

• The Christ Hospital
• Mt Auburn – 513-585-0597
• Liberty Campus - 513-648-7671
• Cincinnati Children’s Center for Breastfeeding Medicine - 513-636-2326
• Fort Hamilton/Kettering Health Hamilton - 513-867-2000
• Mercy Health
• Mercy Anderson - 513-624-3275
• Mercy West - 513-215-2020
• St. Elizabeth - 859-301-2631
• Trihealth (Bethesda North & Good Samaritan Hospital) - 513-862-7867
• UC Health
• Clifton – 513-584-5239
• West Chester – 513-298-3301

Lactation Consultants

Breastfeeding takes practice and support. Lactation consultants will help during the birth hospitalization, but they also are available in the community to triage through problems should they arise.

An international board-certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) is a trained health care professional who is considered the gold standard in breastfeeding experts, so look for those initials after someone’s name. Some even make house calls to help new moms and will check in with you regularly. If you don’t already have a referral from your obstetrician, midwife, hospital, or pediatrician, you can find a list of many local outpatient lactation consultants here. Some lactation consultants will see you in their office, in your home, or virtually. Often, lactation services are covered by insurance.

Postpartum Doulas

Doulas are well known to help support during the labor and delivery process and have been shown to help with breastfeeding initiation rates, but they can be of great help after birth as well.

Postpartum doulas are a great resource who can help provide guidance during the transition home and help as an additional caretaker for mom and baby. Hands-on and non-judgmental support and guidance can help ease the stress in the postpartum period.

Find a doula near you: Find a Doula – DONA International

Friends and Family

Your friends and family must be so excited about your upcoming arrival. While they all want to meet that cute little bundle of joy – they also want to help you with your new transition into parenthood.

Take people up on their offers of help – meals, laundry, unloading/loading the dishwasher! Every little bit helps when you’re a sleep-deprived new parents!

Also, be mindful that it is not your job nor responsibility to play hostess! Make sure to only invite people over who will be helpful and who you can feel comfortable around at your worst. Your partner often can help limit visitors and protect your rest and space.

The Pediatrician

Choosing a pediatrician for your baby is important, especially in meeting your feeding goals. The pediatrician who sees you in the birth hospital will help ensure that breastfeeding is going well. After you and baby leave the hospital, your pediatrician will help monitor baby’s weight closely in the first few weeks and ensure that baby is getting enough at the breast to grow and develop appropriately. Many pediatric offices have on-staff lactation consultants and new parenting support groups that can be a big help. Once your baby is back to birth weight, your pediatrician may give you the blessing to let your infant sleep for longer stretches instead of having to wake them up to eat!

Online Support Groups

The internet and social media can be a great resource for new moms, especially in the wee hours of the morning when you are awake and in need of solidarity!

Luckily, there are all sorts of online communities, blogs, and mom groups on parenting websites and Facebook that you can join. Remember, not everyone is an expert and is just speaking from personal experience on what worked for them. Every woman’s nursing and breastfeeding experience is different!

Here are some reliable breastfeeding sites:

• CDC – Why Breastfeeding Matters
• Office on Women’s Health - Breastfeeding
• Southwest Ohio Breastfeeding Coalition
• WIC Breastfeeding Support

Your Employer and Coworkers

If you are going back to work outside of the home, you'll need to pump for each feeding you will be apart. This keeps your milk supply going strong. Having a supportive work environment can make a positive difference in meeting your breastfeeding goals. And, the law is on your side, nearly all employers are required to give you the time and privacy to pump at work.

Be sure to have a conversation with your employer before you go back to work so you can make arrangements that will meet both your needs when you return. Managers in all types of workplaces — retail, fast food, factories, and farms — have found ways to support breastfeeding moms on the job.

The person responsible for taking care of your baby while you are away at work also needs to support your decision to breastfeed. If you are pumping and storing milk, make sure that your child care provider has refrigerator/freezer storage space and knows the proper thawing and warming technique.

Additionally, talk about what bottle works for the baby and how much milk you want your baby to be fed, that way the baby is not being overfed, making it hard for your milk production to “keep up”!

If you choose a childcare facility close to work or school so you can breastfeed during your breaks, your childcare provider needs to be aware of that, too.

Breastfeeding Helpline

Ohio has a 24/7 hotline for breastfeeding, operated by the Appalachian Breastfeeding Network. You can call 888-588-3423 or text BFHOTLINE to 839863.

This service is operated by trained lactation professionals 24/7, including weekends and holidays, and is free of charge to all callers—families, partners, even expectant parents.

Another option for help is the U.S. Office on Women’s Health’s free breastfeeding helpline. It is available from 9 am to 6 pm ET, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-994-9662. Health specialists who speak English and Spanish are available.

Here are some questions they often hear about women's health and breastfeeding:

• What can I do about cramps?
• How can I increase my breastmilk supply?
• How do I know my baby is getting enough to eat during breastfeeding?
• I have a health problem and don't know if I should call my doctor.

WIC Office

You may be eligible for the Women, Infants and Children or WIC program that can help support your nutrition while nursing. Find out about WIC breastfeeding services and find your local office here.

Breastfeeding moms receive priority through the application process and they also get breastfeeding counseling before and after birth.

In general, moms who breastfeed receive a higher-value food package (since you’re eating for two) and can get benefits for up to one year, versus six months for formula-feeding moms. WIC can help moms with a pump if they do not qualify through or do not have insurance.

Your Community

Odds are there may be more support and locations for breastfeeding moms in public than you even realize. “Nursing nests” at the zoo, lactation rooms at Great American Ball Park, the Kenwood Mall you name it! No matter the time or place, nursing your baby in public is a human right – and you don’t have to go to a public bathroom and hide. Laws in all 50 states protect your right to feed anywhere.

Additionally, your community is a great way to find hand-me-down clothes for baby or for nursing moms to make for easier access for the little one to nurse on the fly.

When in doubt – your fellow moms have your back!

Center for Breastfeeding Medicine

Cincinnati Children’s offers a variety of services, including having pediatricians who are also IBCLC lactation consultants who see patients in the outpatient Breastfeeding Clinics at the Medical Office Building (MOB), Green Township, Liberty Campus, Mason, and Northern Kentucky locations. During Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic assessments, mothers and babies are both registered as patients and seen together to best help families create a comprehensive plan that meets the needs of all involved. No referrals are needed for appointments, but the baby must be seen by their primary care provider after leaving the birth hospital and before coming in for an appointment. Call 513-636-2326 to make an appointment.