Breastfeeding Education & Assistance

Breastfeeding is good for you and your baby and can help protect your newborn against common illnesses. We offer breastfeeding education, support and resources to help you get started.

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Breastfeeding protects your baby against common illnesses and diseases such as diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia. It also lowers the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), type 1 diabetes and childhood cancers. Nursing can help lower your risk of breast and ovarian cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease, and can help you lose pregnancy weight more quickly.

Lactation Expertise

Breastfeeding your baby is natural, but it takes practice. All our mother-baby health nurses have received lactation training and are on hand to help you with breastfeeding and to answer your questions. In addition, we have specially trained lactation specialists — registered nurses who are international board certified lactation consultants (IBCLCs) — to provide an extra level of support.

Our lactation consultants offer a variety of services while you're in the hospital and after you go home, including:

  • Bedside evaluation. Our lactation consultants can provide a comprehensive bedside evaluation to help you get started. At our Los Gatos campus, lactation specialists visit the mother-baby unit every day (except Sunday) to offer assistance. At our Mountain View campus, simply ask your nurse to arrange a visit.
  • Advanced care in the NICU. If your baby is in the neonatal intensive care unit, we offer breastfeeding support. A lactation consultant will be part of your baby’s care team and will develop a plan that meets the needs of you and your baby.
  • Outpatient lactation consulting. If you’d like one-on-one assistance once you leave the hospital, a lactation consultant can provide evaluation and consultation by one of two ways:
    • On-line virtual visit
    • In person visit
    • For more details, fee information and to schedule an appointment, please call  650-988-8290 for Mountain View or 408-871-7479 for Los Gatos.

    As a strong proponent of breastfeeding, we're proud that our Los Gatos campus is a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, recognizing that we offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and babies.

    Online Lactation Consulting

    Our Internationally Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) are available to help support your breastfeeding journey from the comfort and safety of your home, 24/7. Online video consultations are convenient and can provide timely assistance for the breastfeeding challenges you may be experiencing.

    To schedule an appointment, click here on your computer or download the El Camino Health Care Now app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.

     

     

    Breastfeeding Supplies

    We offer a wide range of nursing supplies for sale at our maternity boutiques. In addition, we offer breastfeeding necessities at both our Mountain View and Los Gatos campuses:

    • Baby scales. We offer free use of scales while you’re in the hospital to help you calculate your baby’s breast milk intake. Scales are also available to rent for home use.
    • Breast pumps. We offer hospital-grade, fully automatic cycling electric breast pumps by Medela and Ameda for rent by the week or month. All pumps have single- or double-application capability.

    To learn more about scales and breast pumps, call our maternity boutiques:

    • The Maternal Network (Los Gatos campus) – 408-866-3801
    • The Maternal Connection (Mountain View campus) – 650-988-8287

    At both Mountain View and Los Gatos campuses, we offer rooms where you can breastfeed your baby:

    • Community room in Mountain View – Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Saturday (closed Sundays and holidays). Call 650-988-8290 to check for availability.
    • Lactation room in Los Gatos – Call 408-871-7479 to check for availability; the room only accommodates one person at a time.

     

    Breastfeeding education is supported by donations to El Camino Health Foundation.