BMC is a World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF designated Baby-Friendly hospital. This international award recognizes excellence in lactation support. We provide care based on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)-endorsed Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Numerous organizations, including the WHO and AAP, recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life.
Breastfeeding Support
If your choice is to breastfeed your baby:
- You will receive support from our highly trained maternity staff.
- Lactation consultants are available to offer their expert services.
- The Postpartum Unit and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) can offer pasteurized human donor milk if needed.
- Your baby will not routinely receive pacifiers.
If your choice is to formula feed your baby:
- You will be provided instructions about safe preparation and feeding of infant formula.
- You will be taught paced bottle-feeding.
- We will refer you to parenting and feeding support groups, like BMC’s Baby Café, upon discharge.
As a Baby-Friendly hospital, BMC follows the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes (the Code).
Boston Medical Center Baby Cafe
As a new mom, breastfeeding can be hard. The BMC Baby Café is a place to relax, connect, and receive valuable support from trained lactation professionals. Whether you're a new parent, a caregiver, expecting, or looking to meet others in your community, we invite you to join us!
Boston Baby Cafés are presented in partnership with the Vital Village Breastfeeding Coalition.
What We Offer
- Lactation counseling: Receive personalized support from our professional lactation counselors
- Prenatal breastfeeding education: Learn essential breastfeeding techniques before your baby arrives
- Parenting support: Join us to share your experiences, gain insights, and find encouragement from fellow parents.
No appointment or registration needed. Partners and young siblings are welcome!
Virtual Support Groups
The updated information for the virtual support groups can be found here.
For more information, email BostonBreastfeeding@bmc.org.
Additional Resources
Hand Expression of Breastmilk - Stanford Medicine
How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean (English)
How to Keep Your Breast Pump Kit Clean (Spanish)
Proper Handling and Storage of Breast Milk
Breastfeeding Your Baby in the NICU (English)
Breastfeeding Your Baby in the NICU (Spanish)
Breastfeeding Your Baby in the NICU (Haitian Creole)
Breastfeeding Your Baby in the NICU (Arabic)
Provider Resources
Providers can refer a patient to or request a consult from the Breastfeeding Medicine Clinic. More information can be found on the breastfeeding provider resources page.
Breastfeeding Equity Center
The Breastfeeding Equity Center’s mission is to make BMC Health System a breastfeeding-supportive and knowledgeable institution that supports all BMC patients in meeting their infant feeding intentions.
We are addressing our patient’s needs through innovation, research, advocacy, training, and expanding clinical services for lactation.
Increasing Lactation Education and Training
We manage a medical student breastfeeding elective and have obstetrics and family medicine residents attend clinic sessions. With expanded clinical sessions, we plan to host more learners, particularly community members and staff from under-represented groups similar to our patient population.
Conducting Equity-focused Research and Quality Monitoring
We monitor breastfeeding rates by race and other demographic and clinical characteristics in order to direct interventions where they are needed most. The Center brings investigators together to foster collaboration on breastfeeding research that impacts our patients, our community, and beyond.
Recent publications from our team:
Breastfeeding Decision-Making Among Mothers with Opioid Use Disorder: A Qualitative Study.
Standish KR, Morrison TM, Wanar A, Crowell L, Safon CB, Colson E, Drainoni M, Colvin BN, Friedman H, Schiff DM, Stulac S, Costello E, Parker MG. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2023. 18(5):347-355. PMID 37115582.
Read at: PubMed
Social Determinants of Breastfeeding in the United States. Standish KR, Parker MG. Clinical Therapeutics. 2022 02; 44(2):186-192. PMID: 34906370.
Read at: PubMed
Twenty Years Baby-Friendly: Personal Reflections on Change. Philipp BL. Breastfeeding Medicine. 2021 10; 16(10):769-776. PMID: 33960842.
Read at: PubMed
