Breastfeeding services
Compassionate breastfeeding support
At Penn Medicine Obstetrics and Maternity Care, we offer convenient support throughout your breastfeeding journey. Our International Board Certified Lactation Consultants® (IBCLCs) provide group classes, one-on-one appointments, and in-person and online visits. We listen to your concerns and offer personalized solutions for you and your baby.
Our lactation team does everything we can to help you breastfeed successfully, but we understand that breastfeeding doesn’t always work for you or your baby. We walk you through alternatives like pumping, weaning, introducing formula, and breast care. We also help you process the physical and emotional effects of stopping breastfeeding and make sure you and your baby transition well together.
Giving birth in a Penn Medicine medical center helps your breastfeeding journey start off right. Most of our medical centers are designated Baby-Friendly® Hospitals, supporting the bond between newborns and their parents. We encourage breastfeeding within the first hour of birth, skin-to-skin contact, and rooming with your infant when possible. Our maternity nurses also have lactation training to help you breastfeed soon after labor and delivery.
Please talk to your care team to make an appointment.
Helping you and your baby experience the benefits of breastfeeding
Human milk contains nutrients and living cells that help your baby grow and fight off illness. Choosing to nurse has been shown to decrease your baby’s risk of developing asthma, obesity, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Breastfeeding can also quicken your recovery after childbirth, reduce your risk of developing certain cancers, and support bonding with your baby.
Penn Medicine offers comprehensive breastfeeding support to help you and your baby nurse successfully, including:
- In-hospital education
- Nursing supplies
- One-on-one visits with certified lactation consultants
- Online and in-person breastfeeding classes
- Phone line for questions
- Support groups
Personalized lactation consultant services at Penn Medicine
Our IBC lactation consultants help you navigate your rewarding—and sometimes difficult—breastfeeding journey. They have extensive education and training to help you overcome specific breastfeeding challenges. If breastfeeding is not right for you or your baby, our lactation consultants are able to help you find a way to feed your baby that supports both of your needs. We’re here to give you the resources and support to feed your baby confidently.
Our lactation consultants can meet with you in person, by telehealth, or by phone. We watch you breastfeed your baby, observe your baby’s latch, and offer suggestions to make you and your baby more comfortable. We may weigh your baby before and after nursing to see how much milk they get from your breast.
If pumping is part of your journey, our consultants can fit you for the correct sized pump parts and recommend equipment that works best for your needs. Whether you’re exclusively pumping, supplementing, or pumping in between feedings, our lactation consultants help you create a schedule that works for you.
Your lactation consultant can also help with:
Challenges may come up while breastfeeding your baby, and that’s normal. Penn Medicine lactation consultants are here to help you overcome:
- Breast engorgement
- Breast inflammation
- Clogged ducts
- Latching difficulties
- Low or high milk supply
- Nipple blebs (blister)
- Nursing a baby with low birth weight or a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) stay
- Sore nipples
Our hospitals offer lactation support for patients over the phone, via telemedicine, and in-person. For more information and to connect with lactation support, call the hospital where you delivered your baby.
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania: 215-662-2361
- Pennsylvania Hospital: 215-829-5046
- Chester County Hospital: 610-738-2582
- Doylestown Health: 215-345-2423
- Lancaster General Health Women & Babies Hospital: 717-544-3335
- Princeton Medical Center: 609-897-8980
Whether you’re a first-time or seasoned parent, nursing may not come easily to you or your baby. We answer your questions and teach you some breastfeeding basics, including:
- Breastfeeding holds
- Helping your baby latch
- Introducing a bottle
- Pumping and storing milk
- Recognizing feeding patterns and hunger cues
- Weaning (stopping breastfeeding)
Hospital-grade breast pumps are available to rent in certain locations. These pumps help mothers who may need extra stimulation to boost their milk supply or who have a baby who is premature or in an intensive care nursery.
Most health insurance plans cover personal breast pump rentals, though check with your insurer for details. For more information about pump rentals at Doylestown Health, call 215-345-2200 ext. 4637.
Breastfeeding demands a lot of you—physically and emotionally. Our lactation consultants help you navigate caring for yourself so you can feed and enjoy your infant. We review:
- Breastfeeding while you’re ill
- Caffeine, alcohol, and medication intake
- Eating nutritious meals
- Finding support
- Fluid requirements
- Mental and emotional health
- Returning to work
Breastfeeding classes and resources at Penn Medicine
A certified lactation consultant teaches our breastfeeding classes. Classes help you and your baby build a breastfeeding foundation, meet other parents, and work through common nursing issues. We also offer classes you can take online at your own pace if a regular breastfeeding class is difficult to fit into your schedule.
Please choose a location to view its classes:
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Pennsylvania Hospital
- Chester County Hospital
- Doylestown Health
- Lancaster General Health
- Penn Medicine Princeton Health
Prenatal class
Our prenatal breastfeeding class prepares you to breastfeed so you know what to expect when your baby is born. We also discuss the physical and emotional effects of nursing and how to care for yourself while breastfeeding. We recommend taking this class during the seventh month of pregnancy.
Postpartum class
We support new parents with managing the logistics of breastfeeding, bottle feeding, returning to work, and pumping and storing milk. Through this class, offered at most Penn Medicine locations, we help you figure it out so you can continue feeding your baby in a way that works best for you.
Support groups
Find encouragement and get to know other breastfeeding parents at one of our online or in-person support groups. Joining a breastfeeding support group is a great way to learn and share nursing tips, gain confidence in breastfeeding, and form new relationships.
Penn Parenting Resource Center
The Penn Parenting Resource Center at Pennsylvania Hospital offers expert guidance in breastfeeding support, childbirth classes, and parenting education. Specially qualified educators and IBCLCs help you overcome breastfeeding and parenting challenges with one-on-one support and interactive courses.