Breastfeeding (Lactation Consultant) Service
Directions
The Lactation Consultant Office for breastfeeding is located in Madigan Army Medical Center and can be reached by taking I-5 Exit 122, traveling straight on Jackson Avenue and then turning onto Madigan Avenue to enter the Hospital Tower East Yellow Parking Lot. The Lactation Consultant Office is on the 3rd Floor of the Hospital Tower.
About
Your Madigan Team of Lactation Consultants for breastfeeding is here to serve you. Our dedicated staff of outpatient providers, believe in a core system of care which encompasses the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.
Using these ten steps and the United States Surgeon General’s call to action to support breastfeeding helps us to give you consistent care and smooth transitions from one consultant and/or provider to another. American Academy of Pediatrics Guidelines© help us to give you the confidence you need to breastfeed your baby and meet your baby-feeding goals. We work from a set of assumptions which are shared values throughout Madigan Army Medical Center:
- Breastfeeding is the most complete form of nutrition for infants
- Breastfeeding protects the infant from a wide array of infectious and noninfectious diseases
- Breastfeeding improves maternal health by reducing postpartum bleeding and reducing the risk of premenopausal breast cancer and ovarian cancer
- Breastmilk: Changes us at the cellular level from the beginning of life throughout the lifespan.
With these things in mind, it helps us to prioritize you and your baby, for the very best experience possible.
We want to give you the information you need to:
- Initiate breastfeeding as soon after birth as possible, hopefully within an hour.
- Practice and learn the skills necessary to reach your breastfeeding goals.
- Enjoy the journey of breastfeeding with support and information along the way:
- Assistance with latching and positioning
- Learning to recognize hunger cues
- Adapt to changing milk supply
- Prepare for returning to work and pumping
- Establish and manage milk supply if baby is in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit
Our goal is to have every parent feel supported to reach their feeding goals!
Inpatient Services:
Three International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) staff the department and are available seven days a week for patient care. We prioritize daily inpatient rounds according to need and make an effort to visit every breastfeeding mother prior to hospital discharge.
Prenatal Breastfeeding Classes:
Madigan offers one prenatal breastfeeding classes, a 2-hour Basics class. These classes cover information that every mother/couple should know who plans to breastfeed.
The Basics of Breastfeeding class will introduce the benefits of breastfeeding, how breast milk is made, what to expect the first few weeks and beyond, how to know that your baby is getting enough milk, helpful techniques on positioning and latching baby, prevention and treatment of common problems, pumps and pumping techniques, Tricare Lactation Policy, breastmilk storage and handling, concerns and issues unique to working and breastfeeding, and support and resources. This class is held the 3rd Saturday of every month from 1:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m. in the Sakakini conference room by appointment only.
If you are interested in breastfeeding then please schedule a class – you won’t want to miss out on this fantastic information which helps support your optimal breastfeeding experience! Register via the OB Clinic.
Breastfeeding Support Groups:
Breastfeeding Support Group is every Tuesday from 1 – 3 p.m. in the Sakakini Conference Room. The Breastfeeding Support group is open to all parents who are breastfeeding and/or pumping and is staffed by one or more IBCLCs. The support group consists of infant weight checks, questions and answers, breastfeeding assistance, breastfeeding topics, and networking with other mothers.
Lactation Stations:
At Madigan moms are welcome to breastfeed or pump anywhere and at any time, we also offer three Lactation Station locations for your privacy and convenience if you wish. The Lactation Stations are located in the Hospital Tower Lobby by the elevators, and at the east end of the first and second floors of the Medical Mall. The Lactation Stations offer a clean, comfortable, secure place for anyone who needs to use a breast pump or wants to breastfeed in private. They feature a locking door, seating, a fold-down table, a power supply to comfortably use a breast pump, as well as space for bags or a stroller.
Additional Resources: