Lactation Services

CHOC’s expert team of physicians, certified lactation consultants, nurses and dietitians are committed to giving your family the education and support to help you meet your breastfeeding and milk production goals while your baby is in the hospital. Support is available in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at CHOC and at the CHOC NICU at St. Joseph Hospital, as well as other CHOC hospital units where babies may receive treatment.

Learn more about the benefits and basics of breastfeeding.

LACTATION CONSULTANTS

Our IBCLCs provide beside breastfeeding assistance; education on milk production, breastfeeding and pumping plans of care; and collaboration with your medical team.

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NUTRITION LAB

The Nutrition Lab at CHOC is responsible for preparing breast milk and specialized formulas for our patients with unique feeding needs and is staffed by registered dietetic technicians.

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BREAST PUMPS

We offer private pumping rooms throughout the hospital, hospital-grade pumps for bedside use and pump sanitation supplies. We also offer temporary loaner pumps for those whose babies are admitted to CHOC.

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MEAL
ASSISTANCE

If you breastfeed or pump milk for your baby during their inpatient stay at CHOC, you might qualify for complimentary meals when you are here. Ask your bedside nurse for more information.

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We also proudly provide:

• Supplies to collect and transport milk to the hospital. We will provide all of the supplies you need to pump, collect and transport your milk to the hospital while your baby is staying with us. Supplies include bottles, labels, a breast milk pump kit and a cleaning basin. Follow these guidelines for bringing your milk to the hospital.
• Text messages when a baby’s breast milk supply is getting low. CHOC closely tracks the breast milk you have brought in for your baby. In an effort to reach you when the supply is running low, we offer automated text messaging to let you know when it is time to bring in more milk. This service is optional.
• Educational materials and classes. Upon your baby’s admission to the hospital, we will provide you with educational materials and a pumping kit that will help you breastfeed or pump while at CHOC. We also host a monthly Skin-to-Skin and Lactation Care class for families. View some of our educational resources here.

Babies in the hospital often require a special team for feeding. Our highly specialized nurses, dietitians and medical team all work together with the lactation team to help support mom’s lactation goal, whether it is to breastfeed, pump to provide milk or a combination of both.

Lactation Medical Director. Dr. Christine Bixby is CHOC’s medical director of lactation services. Dr. Bixby specializes in caring for premature infants and is involved in research studies focusing on issues related to breast milk, establishing a milk supply and using breast milk for premature babies.

International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs). An IBCLC is a healthcare professional specializing in the clinical management of breastfeeding and lactation. Our lactation consultants have specialized training above and beyond their other distinctions as either a registered nurse (RN) or registered dietitian (RD). CHOC lactation consultants are available for hands-on education and assistance with breastfeeding and pumping needs and provide one-on-one support and guidance during pumping and breastfeeding. Our IBCLCs also work very closely with CHOC’s developmental team, which has training and experience in feeding babies who have development challenges.

Diet Technician Registered (DTR). CHOC has a team of DTRs who expertly handle all breast milk and formula preparation at the Nutrition Lab. DTRs have completed a minimum of an associate degree and have successfully completed the registration examination for dietetic technician.

Certified Lactation Counselors (CLECs). CHOC’s lactation team also includes our certified lactation counselors, who provide supplies to pumping moms.