CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area recognizes National Breastfeeding Awareness Month

CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital recognizes National Breastfeeding Awareness Month by highlighting the services provided in its Mother Baby Clinic.

According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 60% of mothers do not breastfeed for as long as they intend to due to issues with lactation and latching.

Leslie Bradley, a registered nurse and lactation consultant with CHRISTUS Ochsner Lake Area Hospital’s Mother Baby Clinic, said “fed is always best” but encourages expecting and new mothers to know the benefits of trying to breastfeed.

The clinic was established a year ago. It is designed to provide follow-up services to new mothers and to help educate them on their new journey. Services include baby weight management, breastfeeding support, latch assistance, flange fitting and pumping, as well as one-on-one consultations.

“There are many benefits to breastfeeding such as helping your baby fight infections and illnesses, helping brain development and reducing the risk of sudden infant death syndrome,” Bradley said. “We encourage at least six months of exclusive breastfeeding, but we do not give an end date. We’ve seen many moms breastfeed their babies for years before stopping.”

She said there is a lot to learn and manage when becoming a new mother, which is why the clinic plays a vital role.

"Some of the toughest challenges in becoming a new mom is figuring out expectations and positioning and latching your baby when breastfeeding," she said. "We provide individualized support for new mothers to ask questions, making their transition more seamless.”

New mother Hannah Lejeune experienced the services provided by the Mother Baby Clinic after discovering her newborn daughter’s lip, tongue and cheek tie.

“I felt like I was failing not being able to get my daughter, Delilah, to latch properly,” she said. “Even after my first visit to the clinic, I felt more confident feeding her. The services were so helpful I continued to go over the span of a few months.”

Lejeune said she regularly made appointments to go back to the clinic to check her baby’s weight and ask additional questions.

“My original plan was to breastfeed until Delilah was 6 months old,” Lejeune said. “In the beginning, I got to a place where it became so hard, I wanted to quit. The nurses at the clinic gave me so much help and support that now I don’t see myself stopping anytime soon.”

The clinic is led by registered nurses who are all internationally board-certified lactation consultants and available by appointment with a physician referral. Referrals are accepted for all mothers and babies, no matter the birth hospital.

"Over the past year, we have had the privilege of educating and helping new mothers in our community, bridging the gap between their home and the pediatrician," Bradley said. “As the first of its kind in southwest Louisiana, the clinic is dedicated to empowering mothers with the knowledge and resources necessary for a successful breastfeeding journey.”

To learn more information on the Mother Baby Clinic, call (337) 430-5300.