Studies show that breast milk is best, and most healthy newborns require only breast milk for the first six months of life.

Englewood Hospital offers a warm and nurturing team of specialists who will support and work closely with you before and after you give birth.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

• Breast milk is rich in nutrients and antibodies to protect your baby and changes to fit your growing baby’s needs.
• Research shows breastfed babies have a lower risk of developing asthma, obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes, lower respiratory infections, childhood leukemia, and more.
• Studies have shown breastfeeding mothers have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes, as well as breast and ovarian cancers.

Before Your Baby’s Birth

• Don’t wait until you are in the hospital to begin thinking about breastfeeding. The best time to begin preparing is during your pregnancy.
• Read trusted breastfeeding books and websites and talk with other moms who have breastfed their babies.
• Get the support of your partner, family members, and friends.
• Tell your doctor about your plan to exclusively breastfeed your baby during your hospital stay.
• Check with your insurance company. Many health plans now cover breastfeeding support and supplies. Hospital-grade electric breast bumps are available to use while in the hospital if needed and can be rented from the gift shop when you leave.
• When you arrive at the hospital, tell your nurses and doctors that you want to breastfeed as soon as possible after your baby is born.

After Your Baby Is Born

• Skin-to-skin contact: Within an hour of giving birth, or as soon as possible after delivery, you’ll want to hold you baby “skin to skin.” This will let your baby latch onto your breast on their own, getting your breastfeeding experience off to a good start, and help stimulate milk production. Skin-to-skin contact will also help normalize your baby’s breathing and heart rate, keep your baby warm, reduce crying, and increase your baby’s comfort, alertness, and interest in feeding.
• Getting started with feeding: The first milk, colostrum, is the perfect food for your newborn and is present in just the right amount. You will be encouraged to breastfeed when your baby is showing hunger cues. Healthy full-term babies do not need bottles of water or formula unless there is a medical necessity.
• Rooming in and practicing togetherness: Staying close to your newborn as much as possible will help you gain more confidence in caring for them. With your nurse’s help, you will learn your baby’s behavior and hunger cues, and be better prepared to take your baby home.
• Our breastfeeding experts: Our lactation consultants can assist you during your hospital stay and offer individualized teaching sessions in your patient room.

After You Go Home

No matter how you feed your baby, life with a newborn can be challenging. For the first few weeks, most babies do not eat and sleep on a regular schedule. The following tips can help you continue breastfeeding when you return home.

• You and your baby need to recover. Plan to spend a lot of time resting, holding your baby skin-to-skin, and breastfeeding.
• Refer to the booklet A Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding, which will be provided during your hospital stay for additional information regarding feeding your baby in your first weeks at home.
• If you have breastfeeding questions or concerns that are not urgent, call our breastfeeding line, 201-894-3354, and a lactation consultant will return your call within 24 hours.
• If you need additional support, refer to the list of breastfeeding community resources provided to you during your stay.
• Nursing staff will attempt to call you a few days after discharge to see how things are going and provide any additional support or information as needed.