Breastfeeding

We support your infant feeding choices and are here to help you reach your goals. BMC has been certified as a Baby-Friendly hospital for more than 25 years. This means that BMC provides the highest-quality care that is proven to support successful breastfeeding. 

At BMC we are committed to providing support and care to help you breastfeed and address any problems that may arise related to breastfeeding and formula feeding.

Before Your Baby is Born

• We offer breastfeeding and childbirth education classes prenatally:
  • Childbirth education classes
  • Prenatal breastfeeding workshops for patients
• Your provider will help you get a breastmilk pump paid for by your health insurance.
• We can help you sign up for WIC, which provides breastfeeding support, food benefits for breastfeeding parents, and formula if you are giving formula.
• We offer prenatal appointments with a breastfeeding medicine specialist, if your provider identifies that you may have a risk of breastfeeding problems based on your medical history.

While You and Your Baby Are in the Hospital

• BMC provides evidence-based breastfeeding support while you are in the hospital. Baby-Friendly care includes proven practices to help breastfeeding to help get off to a good start, including skin-to-skin placement of your baby on your chest immediately after birth and staying in the same room as your baby so breastfeeding is not interrupted
• Nurses and/or lactation consultants will help teach you how to hold and latch your baby and how you can know when to feed you baby based on their hunger cues.
• If your baby needs extra feeds for any reason, we offer pasteurized human donor milk from the Mother’s Milk Bank Northeast or you can use formula.
• For families who choose to formula feed, we provide formula in the hospital, as well as teach you about storage, preparation, and how to feed your baby in a healthy way with paced bottle feeding.

After You Go Home

• BMC offers skilled breastfeeding support and medical care offered at our Breastfeeding and Lactation Medicine Center. If you have challenges with breastfeeding, we offer appointments with lactation consultants and medical providers with advanced training in complex breastfeeding issues.
  • We see patients from across BMC clinics and community health centers.
  • Your provider may refer you to have an appointment if you are having difficulty breastfeeding.
  • Clinic location: Shapiro Building 5th Floor, 725 Albany St. Boston, MA
• If you and your baby receive postpartum care from BMC’s Curbside Care, you will have the opportunity to see a lactation consult during your appointments.
• Community support is available via breastfeeding support groups at Vital Village.
• WIC has an office located at BMC in the basement of the Yawkey building.