If your baby has been placed in the NICU, the separation between mom and baby can sometimes cause a challenge with breastfeeding. How can a mom maximize her breastfeeding success when in this situation? What are your options when it comes to supplementation? And how do you maintain a good milk supply when separated from your baby?
Our Expert
Wendy Colson, RN, IBCLC
Wendy Colson is a registered nurse (RN) and an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC) one of San Diego’s prominent woman’s hospitals. Over a year ago, a few of North County San Diego’s physicians convinced her to go into private practice so that they could refer their babies born premature or near-term to someone experienced in the community. Her private practice, Latching with Love and her free breastfeeding support group, Milk & Cookies are located in Carlsbad, California. She has over 15 years’ of nursing experience in both the Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) and post-partum units. She has over 8 years’ experience as an IBCLC and has helped thousands of babies’ breastfeed or receive their mother’s pumped milk while hospitalized. Wendy has written protocols now in effect at the hospital where she is employed on the safety of breastfeeding and radiology, which has significantly decreased the occurrence of misinformation from her hospital’s emergency room and radiology staff. She is a consultant for Hygeia,inc. She lives with her husband and three breastfed (8 year’s total) daughters in Carlsbad, California.
Host/Panelists
Robin Kaplan (host)
Children: Ben (2005), Ryan (2006)
Norene Ybarra
Children: Rex (2011)
Lori Shomphe
Children: Jack (2005), Abigail (2008), Zoe (2010)
Vamie Romero
Children: Diego (2008), Noah (2010), Ezra (2012)
Additional Resources
La Leche League | Breastfeeding a preterm infant after a NICU discharge
http://www.lalecheleague.org/ba/aug97.html
La Leche League | How can I lose weight safely while breastfeeding?
http://www.llli.org/faq/diet.html
WhatToExpect.com | Breastfeeding After the NICU
http://www.whattoexpect.com/forums/moms-of-preemies/topic/breastfeeding-after-the-nicu.html
Pregnancy.org | Meeting the Challenges of Breastfeeding after the NICU
http://www.pregnancy.org/article/meeting-challenges-breast-feeding-nicu
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