Eye on Health: First-time mom is grateful for breastfeeding support from Beacon team
Like all new moms, Monica Maya faced an important decision when it came to feeding her baby. But she explains how the decision between breastfeeding and bottle feeding was an easy one to make.
Maya would be returning to work, so she wanted to do everything she could to bond with Noah. She also researched the benefits of breastfeeding and wanted him to have the nutrients that would best support his growth and development. And there was also the cost savings.
“Why would I do anything else when my body is already producing (milk) for my child,” she said.
In our latest Eye on Health segment on WSBT, Maya talked about the breastfeeding support she has received at Beacon from the lactation consultants to the support groups. Click here to read the story.
August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month. Despite the well-known benefits, the World Health Organization reports that fewer than half of infants under 6 months of age are exclusively breastfed.
Breastfeeding is the most nutritious option for babies, but it’s normal for first-time moms like Maya to need a little help learning the new skill. Beacon’s Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) at Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital are here to help.
As a lactation consultant, Linda Lyon, RN, assists new moms on their journeys, which starts in the hospital and continues through breastfeeding classes, consultations, post-partum check ins, and breastfeeding support groups after mom and baby are home.
Audrey Katz, RN, has always been passionate about her career as a Beacon midwife. But when she recently became a new mom, Katz realized how much more she can relate having personally experienced labor, delivery and breastfeeding her newborn.
“It’s a lot of work, but it’s really rewarding,” Katz said.
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Breastfeeding services at Beacon
Memorial Hospital and Elkhart General are Baby-Friendly designated birth facilities. This gold standard of care promotes the value and importance of breastfeeding.
We help all moms make an educated decision about their feeding choice and then support them in their decisions, and we offer to help all mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
Visit our website for much more information about our services, support groups and breastfeeding clinics. Here is our calendar of classes at Elkhart General Hospital and Memorial Hospital of South Bend.
