Breastfeeding Support

Providence Saint Joseph and Providence Holy Cross Medical Centers Provide Support for Breastfeeding Moms

A Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center support group that began in 2000 with just three new mothers has expanded into three weekly gatherings at the medical center and at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center where dozens of women receive advice and share stories with each other on breastfeeding their babies.

Terry Gass, RN, IBCLC, one of six certified lactation consultants at the two medical centers, said that in today’s society, women need a lot of technical and emotional support to continue breastfeeding, which the American Academy of Pediatricians recommends as the preferred feeding for all infants.

"Young women in today’s transit society often don’t have a lot of outside support when it comes to breastfeeding," Gass said. "Breastfeeding is a learned skill. There’s a lot of trial and error. And without support, often when a women runs into a problem, she quits breastfeeding."

Despite research showing that breastfeeding is beneficial to both baby and mother, only one out of every four women continue to breastfeed once their baby reaches six months of age. In today’s society where new mothers are not near their own mothers and sisters to share experiences, it becomes too easy for them to quit breastfeeding and start placing their babies on a formula diet, Gass said.

"Our support groups allow mothers to have their questions answered and to receive emotional support from other mothers," Gass said. "We have mothers helping mothers."

Tiffany Kaloustian began attending one of the support groups when her first child Aiden was two weeks old. He is now four months old, and she continues to breastfeed him.

"I was having a very difficult time breastfeeding," Kaloustian said. "He wasn’t latching on correctly, and I was sore. If it had not been for the support group, I would have stopped nursing. It was that hard for me. I plan to nurse now for a full year."

Some of the issues discussed at the support groups include eating patterns, milk supply, returning to work, pumping milk, and breastfeeding in public.

The program now has a special support group for mothers whose babies are premature and have spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit at Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center. This group meets every Tuesday. 

The two other support groups are open to all new mothers in the community.

Breast milk is the best possible nutrition for a baby, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. It lowers the risk of diabetes, asthma, obesity and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome in babies and provides a stronger immune system for the infant.

For more information on the breastfeeding support groups at Providence Saint Joseph and Providence Holy Cross Medical Centers, call (818) 841-BABY. 

(818) 841-BABY