Breastfeeding Support

At MemorialCare Center for Women, we encourage breastfeeding as the best source of nutrition for your baby. To make the most informed choice about this important decision, we encourage you to attend our breastfeeding class during your seventh to ninth month of pregnancy. The two-session class is presented by a board-certified lactation consultant and partners are encouraged to attend.
Register for the breastfeeding class

After your baby is born, lactation consultants are available to help you reach your breastfeeding goals by providing education, support, and reassurance to moms throughout their breastfeeding experience through in-hospital and outpatient consultations, breastfeeding classes, support groups, breast pump sales and rentals, and other assistance.
Shop at The Essentials Breastfeeding Supply Store

Due to the increasing needs of mothers, the hospital received a $1.7 million grant from Los Angeles Children and Families-Proposition 10 Commission for the breastfeeding support program at the Center for Women. The five-year program includes one-on-one breastfeeding education and intensive training for nursing and medical staff. The Center for Women currently has four lactation consultants and has trained more than 50 nurses, occupational therapists, physical therapists and registered dieticians to be lactation educators. Since receiving the grant in 2003, the Center for Women has seen a nearly 250 percent increase in the number of patients who are breastfeeding within the first hour after a vaginal birth.

The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, a unit designated to care for babies requiring special care, has two Registered Nurses who are Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) on staff with more than 25 years of intensive care experience. Their sole focus is to provide support, education and assistance to lactating moms, babies and families. Families are instructed on collection of breast milk within the first six hours of the birth of their child. It is vital that their precious, fragile baby can receive all the many benefits that breast milk can provide. Education continues to non-nutritive feeding, where a baby is encouraged to look, lick and latch at the breast as they develop and mature. When an infant is stable and able to do so, a mom can know that her first experiences with breastfeeding will be with tremendous support and assistance until she feels capable of independent feeding.