Breastfeeding Program
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For the Charlottesville area:
434.924.2500For Manassas:
703.369.8383Breastfeeding offers health benefits for you and your baby. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy, or that it comes naturally. Having help early can get your breastfeeding journey started on the right foot.
At UVA Health, our breastfeeding medicine program can offer support during and after your hospital stay.
What Support Does UVA Health Offer for Breastfeeding?
Many new parents don’t know all of the types of support that are available. Ultimately, our specialists’ goal is to help you overcome any breastfeeding barriers. What that looks like is going to depend on the individual.
Much of our success comes from policies and procedures put in place as part of our work to earn the international Baby-Friendly designation. To this end:
- All babies are put skin-to-skin immediately after birth.
- Babies sleep in the same room as their parents at all times.
- All staff have been trained to support breastfeeding, even in the NICU.
- Lactation consultants visit new mothers regularly.
- We work to get your newborn breastfeeding within an hour of birth.
The Breastfeeding Program at UVA Health
Our award-winning breastfeeding program encourages and teaches you how to give your child the most healthy start possible.
Ann Kellams: I serve as Medical Director of our Breastfeeding Medicine Program. And this program has paired pediatricians and lactation consultants, nutritionists, we also work with the departments of obstetrics and gynecology and family medicine. And to provide comprehensive care to mothers and babies who are breastfeeding. We not only provide seven day a week coverage on the maternity and post-partum unit and for families in the neonatal intensive care unit or the NICU, but also provide an outpatient clinic. If once you're home, if you're struggling with something, whether it's pain or you're worried about your supply or maybe you're making plans to go back to work, we are there to help you through that.
Ann Kellams: The other thing we can do is consultations if your baby has to come back in the hospital for any reason or if you are in the hospital for any reason, we will go to that unit and see you and help you and maybe it's pumping your milk because you two have to be separated for a short a time. Or maybe the baby has not been gaining weight as well as we'd like to see and how can we help with that. We took a hard look at the evidence that's out there and the studies that have been done and we've basically tried to implement every practice that has been shown to help a mother be successful. You're not going to get better care around infant feeding and breastfeeding than we're trying to give here.
It can be hard to keep breastfeeding when you or your baby are sick. Learn more about how we support breastfeeding in the NICU and how COVID affects breastfeeding.
We can also help you manage any medications that you need. Including information about how they may affect your supply and whether they are safe for breastfeeding. If they aren’t suitable, we can try to help find an alternative.
Why Choose UVA Health for Lactation Help?
At UVA Health you'll have:
- Internationally board-certified lactation consultants
- A breastfeeding medicine program
- The support of the #1 Children’s hospital in Virginia
Our experts are leading research efforts to help more parents who want to breastfeed. And helping to inform everyone on the importance and health benefits of breastfeeding.
Sign up for our breastfeeding basics class to learn more about breastfeeding.
If you want to learn more or find encouragement, you can:
- Meet other mothers, and get advice at a La Leche League meeting in Charlottesville
- Find supplies, peer counselors, and more from Women Infant and Children (WIC)
- Ask your questions by calling the National Breastfeeding Helpline
- Read articles, get book recommendations, and more at KellyMom
- Find an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant
Breast Pumps & Breastfeeding Supplies
The Affordable Healthcare Act requires insurance companies to provide breastpumping supplies. Your provider can help you figure out what pump will work best for you and what’s covered by insurance. They can also help you learn to operate it.
Pregnancy & Birth
- Breastfeeding Program Breastfeeding Program
- High-Risk Pregnancy Care
- Going Into Labor? Labor & Delivery FAQs What to do when it's time to have your baby
- Hospital Tours & Private Suites Hospital Tours & Private Suites
- New Parent Resources New Parent Resources
- Prenatal Classes Prenatal Classes
- Prenatal Class Registration
- Safe Sleep for Your Newborn Safe Sleep for Your Newborn
- Perinatal Mental Health Services
Breastfeeding Issues We Support
- Latching
- Improving milk supply
- Breast refusal
- Nipple confusion
- Nursing and medications
- Nipple soreness and breast pain
- Plugged ducts
- Engorgement and oversupply
- Tongue-tie and lip-tie
- Recognizing feeding cues
- Mastitis
- Baby's slow weight gain
- Bottle refusal
- Operating a breast pump
- Inducing lactation