Ascension Providence Announces New Breastfeeding Clinic

August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month and Ascension Providence has announced the launch of a new lactation consultation clinic for new moms. A new, dedicated space near the Baby Express area of the hospital will help new moms with breastfeeding support.

"Having lactation consultation on site at Ascension Providence allows new moms to get introduced to the service before and after the birth of their child,” said Philip Patterson, president of Ascension Providence. “We are glad to be able to fill a need in the community with this service, whether a family has insurance or not."

Waco, as a fast-growing city with families of childbearing age moving to the area, currently does not have enough qualified International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) to meet the need for breastfeeding help. Before the opening of the new lactation clinic, families often had to wait more than a week to be scheduled for a consultation – when dealing with maternal milk supply and an infant that is not gaining weight well, this can become a health concern. The addition of this fully functioning clinic will add to the available resources for families in the region and, in collaboration with Breastfeeding Success, will help fill the gap in services and ensure families can get an appointment within 24 to 48 hrs. Financial assistance is also available for those without insurance.

Breastfeeding Success outpatient services include:

• In-clinic and in-home lactation services
• 24/7 phone support
• Telemedicine lactation appointments
• Pediatric scale rental
• Hospital-grade pump rental

Lactation consultation can help new moms with:

• Positioning that’s comfortable for both mom and baby
• Guidance on amount of milk production
• Ways to avoid soreness
• Guidance on baby’s weight gain
• And much more

For more information, contact Ascension Providence at 254-751-4000.