At Nemours Children’s Hospital, Delaware, we offer a number of services for moms who are breastfeeding or pumping breast milk for their babies. Our entire multidisciplinary care team, including an international board-certified lactation consultant (or “IBCLC,” for short), serves as the “front line” for education, support and promoting a positive breastfeeding environment. With an IBCLC on staff, we provide optimal resources and support for mothers to begin and continue breastfeeding.
We offer breastfeeding support to mothers in a number of ways:
Inpatient Consults
Each nurse has been educated on providing lactation support to our families. However, sometimes moms need extra support. A lactation consultant is available for those having a difficult time breastfeeding or pumping.
Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) Support
Premature infants fed human milk receive significant benefits, including protection from a wide variety of bacterial and viral illnesses. And, premature babies who receive breast milk have improved developmental outcomes compared to those who are formula-fed. Also, babies who receive breast milk often experience shorter stays in the hospital (due to the health benefits).
Breast milk provides a unique composition of nutrients and immune factors, which are particularly beneficial to premature infants and help to prevent or decrease the severity of diseases which include necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), upper respiratory infections and sepsis (when the immune system responds to an infection by attacking the body’s own organs and tissues).
Donor Breast Milk
Banked breast milk may be used for some infants whose mothers have trouble providing enough breast milk to meet their babies’ nutritional needs.
Associate Lactation Support
The Nemours Lactation Consultants off one-on-one breastfeeding help from a board-certified lactation consultant. Lactation support is available for associates with concerns about how breastfeeding is going (e.g.; Questions regarding latch pain, poor weight gain, tongue ties pumping, etc.) Call (302) 685-9119 to schedule an appointment.
Warmline
Our "warmline" is staffed by lactation consultants who are available to answer your questions and concerns about breastfeeding. For more information or for non-urgent breastfeeding issues, please call (302) 379-1131 and leave a message. Calls are returned within 48 hours by a lactation consultant.
Facebook Group
Please join Nemours Breastfeeding Group to be part of our community of breastfeeding and pumping moms at all different stages in the feeding journey. This closed group is moderated by the lactation support team.
Breastfeeding Peer Counselors
Peer counselors are mothers who have breastfed and know the challenges of getting started and making it to their feeding goals. They provide one-on-one support, telephonic support and host Breastfeeding Clubs at three of our primary pediatric sites. For more information please call our Warmline at (302) 651-6440.
This service is available at our primary care locations:
Pump Program
Nemours has partnered with Adapt Health (a durable medical equipment company) to provide our families with quality double electric breast pumps. Most insurances are accepted. All others are ordered through an outside vendor. For more information please call our Warmline at (302) 651-6440.
