Breastfeeding services

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

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:

• Pennsylvania Hospital
• Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
• Chester County Hospital
• 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.