Lactation Support

Breastfeeding Support

Breastfeeding offers crucial nutrition that is important for growth and development for infants from birth to one year and even beyond. However, like any new skill, many breastfeeding parents and their babies often require guidance and support.

That's Where We Come In!

  • We have a high number of breastfeeding families. We will do our best to help you meet your breastfeeding goals. Any breast milk you feed your infant is a gift of health for your child that lasts their lifetime.



  • We respect each family's feeding decisions. We do encourage moms to breastfeed or pump and feed breast milk for the first four months, then continue to breastfeed and give solid foods until your baby is a year old.  For parents not offering human milk, infant formula is a safe and nutritious solution. Commercially available infant formulas are strictly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. They mimic the nutritional components of human milk and come in a variety of baby-friendly options. Regardless of which type of feeding plan works best, every parent’s decision represents careful thought that deserves the unquestionable support that we pledge to give to all of our families.

Lactation Support Services:


South Shore Health Warm Line


  • Phone: 781-624-8602 (lactation specialist will call back within 24 hours)


New England Mothers First



Yvonne Maalouf, IBCLC



Lactation Consultants of the South Shore



General Breast Feeding Advice


Things to Remember:


  1. As much skin to skin time as you can do. It is really great for both you and the baby!

    Look for those early feeding cues:Eyes moving under the eyelids
  2. Mouthing (making kissy faces)
  3. Rooting (turning the head and opening the mouth)
  4. Ringing the hand to the mouth
  5. Late feeding cue is crying

Babies nurse a lot, especially in the beginning! When the baby shows any of these signs of being hungry try to breastfeed. Breastfeeding should be on demand - this won't be forever!

Breast-Fed babies should usually feed about 10-15 minutes at each breast during each feeding, and should be offered both breasts at every feeding. Breast-fed babies should nurse as often as every 2-3 hours, and at least 8-10 times in a 24hr period, and not go without nursing longer than one 4-5 hour stretch per day. This means you should be nursing around the clock- to ensure your breasts are getting enough stimulus to keep up an adequate supply, and give your baby enough to eat. Breast milk is rapidly digested and meals need to be frequent.

You will know your baby is getting enough to eat if he is having 4-6 palm-sized (adult palm size) stools per day.

The only vitamin your baby will need in addition to your breast milk is Vitamin D. Adequate amounts can be found in one dropper per day of D-Visol, Tri-visol or Poly-Visol or 1 drop per day of "D-Drops". Breast feeding mothers should continue to take their prenatal vitamins.


Get Into Position:


  1. Baby's nose is opposite your nipple
  2. Baby's body is at the same height as your nipple - you and your baby should be tummy to tummy
  3. Baby's head can extend back, allowing the widest possible mouth opening -- this means place your hand at the base of your baby's head so you can support the baby's upper back and the bottom of the baby's head


Get A Good Latch:


  1. Touch the babies nose with your nipple (using the arm that supports the baby)
  2. Move the baby's back until the mouth opens WIDE
  3. Move the baby forward so that the tongue and lower lip seal first and then the upper lip
  4. The baby's mouth will appear off-center when compared to the areola (the darker skin around the nipple)


Signs Your Baby Is Full:


Your baby is:

  1. Relaxed
  2. Hands are open (not clenched in a little fist)
  3. Arms are floppy
  4. Brow is smooth
  5. Toes are curled

A baby doesn't always burp after breast feeding - unlike a bottle there isn't any air in breast milk coming out of a breast so unless your baby gulps a lot, s/he may not burp so don't stress if you can't get a burp out all the time.


Pumping:


  1. If you are going back to work remember you only need enough pumped breast milk to cover the first day at work. You will pump while you are away and be able to give that to the baby the next day
  2. POWER PUMPING: if you are worried about your supply at all, you can power pump -- ideally you pump until the milk stops flowing or slows down, then stop the pump for 2 minutes, pump for 5 minutes, stop for 2 and pump for 5 - it doesn't matter if milk is coming out or not this is about stimulating your body to make more milk
  3. Your body naturally makes the most milk in the morning, so this is a good time to pump for storage, feed you baby and then pump right afterwards, over time your body will increase how much milk it is making and you will be able to store it.
  4. Some accessories that are completely optional but I found helpful - car adapter, and nipples that go on the top of the bottles that you pump into (so you can pump and just use that container to give a bottle - cuts down on what you have to carry!)


Storage:


  1. "rule of 4's" -- can store breast mill at room temperature for 4 hours, fridge for 4 days, regular freezer (attached to fridge) for 4-6 months ("deep" freezer okay for 6-12 months)
  2. Bags work great, (The First Years brand are less expensive and work well)
  3. Fill the bag to the 4 oz line, push all the air out, write the expiration date on the top (4 months from today)
  4. Freeze! (freezing the packages on a cookie sheet will make them nice and flat, there is a milk storage bag dispenser, "The First Years Milk Storage Dispenser", it keeps the breast milk organized so you don't lose any bags in your freezer and you are using the oldest frozen milk so it doesn't expire - another optional accessory that I found helpful).  **REMINDER-- DO NOT REFREEZE THAWED MILK**


Using Frozen Milk:


  1. Just put bag in a bowl full of hot tap water DO NOT MICROWAVE
  2. You just need it to have the chill off
  3. Make sure to test it and swirl it to make sure it isn't too hot and there aren't any hot spots
  4. Do not re-freeze thawed milk!!!! This can expose your child to potentially harmful bacteria.
  5. Remember your breast milk is constantly changing, you body is making higher calorie milk to support the growth of you baby, so sometimes when you are using older breast milk it is lower calorie and the baby may want a little more than they normally need


Information About Medications and Breastfeeding


You have to be careful when taking any medication (over the counter, herbal or prescription) and nursing. When in doubt check it out! There is actually a hotline you can call to ask!

  • Infant Risk Center: 806-352-2519 (provides up-to-date evidence based information on the use of medications during pregnancy and breastfeeding)


For moms that would like to donate breast milk or to request donor breast milk, please see the Mother's Milk Bank Northeast at milkbankne.org


Call your child's healthcare provider if:


Your baby develops a fever (rectal temperature equal to or greater than 100.4 F). Please call us at ANY time of the day if your child has a fever as it will need prompt evaluation and treatment. (This is true for all babies 0-8 weeks of age; for babies older than 8 weeks of age, evaluation can usually wait until regular office hours, as long as the baby is alert and responsive).
Your child is very irritable and you cannot calm him after 1/2- 1 hour.


(Above breastfeeding tips are from Molly Mazanac, NP-- Pediatric Nurse Practioner and mom of many!!)