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Milk & Medicine: The Science of Breastfeeding
The journey of motherhood brings countless decisions, with feeding choices among the most significant. Rebecca Rose, an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant at Virginia Baptist Hospital, guides us through the complexities and joys of breastfeeding during this illuminating conversation for National Breastfeeding Awareness Month.
Rebecca's path to becoming a lactation consultant began with her own struggles breastfeeding her oldest child. This personal challenge transformed into a passion that now helps countless mothers in the mother-baby unit, birth center, intensive care nursery and outpatient services. Her mission? Ensuring every mother has the support and knowledge to make informed feeding decisions that work best for their unique situation.
Join our conversation to discover how proper support and education can transform your breastfeeding experience from overwhelming to empowering.
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Hi and welcome to, and so Much More. I am here with Rebecca Rose, who is one of our lactation quality consultants at Virginia Baptist Hospital, working with our mothers in the mother-baby unit, and where else does your role touch in that vicinity?
Speaker 2:So we work not only on the mother-baby floor but we see some of the patients over in the birth center. We go to our ICN, our intensive care nursery. We also go down to the belly clinic and we have outpatient services at the Baptist where moms can come back in and get a one-on-one with one of us.
Speaker 1:I love that. So, rebecca, tell me a little bit about you. How did you get into this type of work?
Speaker 2:So my background is pediatrics and NICU and also I did some LDRP experience, so I have a lot of women's and children's experience. I had difficulty with our oldest breastfeeding so it became a passion of mine. I went back to school, I got certified and then I ended up doing the IBCLC, which is Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. Okay, so I could help more moms and just give them the experience that they deserve.
Speaker 1:I love it. So you just kind of wanted to have as much experience to touch as many lives as possible. It sounds like yes. Well, I'm so thankful you did, because even as we were preparing to have this conversation, even as we were preparing to have this conversation, I learned so much about the many things that center offers, but also how intentional this work is. So, first, it's national breastfeeding awareness month, and so that is why we're having this conversation and and you know, it's so interesting because I think the average person, especially those who don't have a direct experience with breastfeeding, they just kind of think, like well, that's just something you do, like you just do it. So why is this so important? Why would you say that the awareness surrounding breastfeeding is so important?
Speaker 2:Because there's a stigma around it and people have their own beliefs on is it the right thing to do or is it not and bringing awareness to it gives moms the support they need, the understanding that they need, and it creates a culture and an environment where women can meet their goals.
Speaker 1:So do you think that in your experience, the women who come in are really like they're ready, they know what they need to know, or do you think there's a bit of an awareness gap there?
Speaker 2:um, there is a combination. Um, there is an awareness gap with some moms. Prenatal education is huge. Yeah, our prenatal doctors out in the community try to educate moms on many different things throughout the pregnancy and breastfeeding is one of them. Feeding choice is always supported, but we want to make sure the moms make an informed decision on what is the best plan for them. So the education piece out in the community is huge. We like to make sure that moms are aware of support groups. Moms are aware of community resources that they might have, so that way when they come in the hospital they have the knowledge prior to coming in. But when they come in they now have this tiny body with big emotions and it's a whole. It's a whole different experience and a lot of us need help navigating that new experience.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I love what you said about just that, that every journey is different and and that you just want to make sure that they have all the information to make the best decision for their family, because there are a lot of options. But something that I have just learned is that, from a center standpoint, as a baby friendly hospital, what would you say our primary stance?
Speaker 2:is. Our primary stance is to support moms in the journey that they're in. We like to make sure that they have all the knowledge, that they know the benefits of breastfeeding and if they want to formula feed, we are going to support them in their journey, whether they want to formula feed, mixed feed or breastfeed. But we do want to make sure they make an educated, informed decision.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so let's talk about why breastfeeding is such a great option. So there are so many things that come along with it. So many benefits for the mom, so many benefits for baby. What would those?
Speaker 2:be. Moms that breastfeed are less likely to have female cancers. They're less likely to have type two diabetes later in life. They're less likely to have type two diabetes later in life. They're less likely to have heart disease. Not only is their milk always there at the perfect temperature, but it's also free Okay. So that's a huge, huge benefit.
Speaker 1:It's true, it's true, I don't know. You also talked about just some of that like emotional side of things, the bonding that can happen there, and I know that you know there's a lot that's done to kind of encourage that bonding experience with mother and baby and with father and baby, and so breastfeeding is a part of that. Let's talk about a little bit how breastfeeding is a part of that and then some other things that we do.
Speaker 2:So the first hour after birth we call the golden hour. It's when mom and her partner and baby get to bond together. We want to initiate skin to skin right away. Mom's milk's triggered with the most hormone release within that first hour. So baby being on mom's chest, mom and baby getting that bonding, her partner being there to bond with them, that's huge. It's huge and usually babies are able to latch on within the first hour, which initiates that cascade for her milk to come in sooner.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you were sharing how there are some recommendations for breastfeeding and I know, like you said, every journey is different, but what are those recommendations that Centra follows?
Speaker 2:Okay. So um, the world health organization, um recommends um, and so does the CDC, the Academy of breastfeeding medicine and the Academy of pediatrics, that you exclusively breastfeed for the first six months. After six months is where you would start complimentary food, and they recommend that you breastfeed for two years.
Speaker 1:So let's talk about. Let's talk a little about that. You kind of mentioned that there's so many benefits that come with that. Do you get those benefits in the first six months? Do those things? Is that where things kind of stick, or like, what is the benefit of going longer? I know a lot of moms really choose to go as long as they possibly can. Recommendation of six months what are the benefits for longer, shorter, all of the above.
Speaker 2:You get. Babies are less likely to have eczema, asthma and allergies. They're less likely to have type 1 and type 2 diabetes throughout their life. They're less likely to have childhood cancers too. So all mom's immunity that's in her system is given to baby via the milk. We call it passive immunity. So it's not a long-term immunity, it is a passive. So anytime the family is exposed to an illness or a sickness, mom's milk has these antibodies in it that are going to fight any type of sickness in baby system. So it's a cool benefit for that child to have. So, um, kids are less sick, which that's huge.
Speaker 1:That is huge and it's so cool when you think about that, this built-in protection that surrounds you and your baby while you're going through this experience. It's just a beautiful thing.
Speaker 1:So tell me, some of you mentioned support groups Because, the other side of this, there's so many positive things that come with breastfeeding. It's hard to do For some I don't want to say that for everyone. It was very difficult for me, but the support that I know I received was one of the things that really helped me stick with it for as long as possible. So what does that support for mom look like?
Speaker 2:Okay. So at the hospital we have well-trained staff. Every staff member has very thorough training on being able to help meet mom's goals and be able to assist her while she's in the hospital. After mom is discharged, we have what's called a baby cafe, which is a free breastfeeding support group. Every Wednesday from 10 to 12 at the Oak Lane entrance. Any mom can come in talk with one of the lactation consultants. One of us is down there. They also have a scale in there so moms can weigh their child if they want to. We have Motherhood Collective out in the community that have support groups. We have La Leche League. We also have WIC, which has breastfeeding peer counselors, and then we have some walking groups now in Lynchburg too. So moms getting together to support moms.
Speaker 1:Oh, and I love that. I mean there's a lot to be said for, especially in that season after birth, with your child, just to combat things like postpartum, like getting out and walking and surrounding yourself with community. Um, that's just so encouraging to hear. There's so much that's available. Um, so for those who are struggling, what would be a message that you would say to them?
Speaker 2:um, don't suffer alone. Please get help. Talk to the baby's pediatrician, your OB or your midwife. I would get a one-on-one with a lactation consultant, whether you come back to the hospital and do it with us at the pediatric specialty clinic or you see one of the lactation consultants out in the community. Please seek out help because your journey with your baby matters. You matter. You should not be in pain yes, yes, what?
Speaker 1:just for like a quick reference, and we'll put this into the description as well. But you did mention services. Can you relist some of the things are, if you know, if there is like a comprehensive list? What does Center offer? How do you get involved? Where do these moms begin?
Speaker 2:okay, so um, the pediatrician, the OB or the midwife can write a referral to come back in to Centra, the pediatric specialty clinic. It's on the second floor. Any mom that has that referral can do a one-on-one with the lactation consultant. They can bring their significant other, they can have their partner, they can have their baby with them, or babies in the case of multiples, and we do a thorough one-on-one feeding and we give them resources they need. Some moms will do this if they're having feeding difficulties. Some moms will do this because of pain or damage or problems that they are having. Other moms do it because baby's having slow waking, or maybe baby has a cardiac issue and is tuckering out. A preterm baby that has low stamina that quits on feedings early, or a mom returning to work that can't figure out her breast pump. There's lots of different reasons, but we're here for the community in whatever situation that they feel like they need us in.
Speaker 1:Okay, well, thank you. Is there anything we didn't touch on? I know that was a lot of information in a short amount of time, but is there anything that we didn't touch on that you wanted to circle back to?
Speaker 2:I think the fact that we are a baby-friendly designated site hospital and we support moms in their journey that they're doing whether they are deciding to come into the hospital and they've had no education, or whether they're coming into the hospital with a huge or vast amount of education we like to support them where they're at, when they're coming in and making sure that they get the care that they deserve.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're going to meet you where you are, and I do believe that Virginia Baptist is known for a safe and a welcoming space to come and have your baby, and I think that that is something I do want to communicate that it's a very special thing to be able to send people somewhere and feel really good about where you're sending them. I did want to ask and I know that we're kind of at the end here, but you talked a little bit about before we started just the way you all approach care and the research that is being done, the data that is being collected that is helping you not just give the best care right now, but to pay attention to what is happening and adjust care when necessary. So can you talk a little bit about?
Speaker 2:that. So Baby Friendly is having us pull all of our data, not only that patients deliver, but we're separating it for mom's ethnicity and her race to see if there's intentional bias or unintentional bias. So everything that we're turning in now is being broken down so we can see trends. There's times where you can make a bad choice, but there's also times you could be making a bad choice and you really don't know what you're doing. So when you separate vaginal births or C-sections, breastfeeding initiation or feeding initiation, skin-to-skin initiation, babies that are supplemented, babies that are rooming in or taken away or not rooming in, when we start separating it by race and ethnicity, you can see trends and then we will take that data, go into quality, discuss it as a whole and how do we move past it to make this more equal?
Speaker 1:Yeah, so you want to make sure that every mom that's coming in here is having the care that is best for them. That is incredible, and you know this baby-friendly designation that we have. I know we shared some information on our social channels and please go check that out, um, but it's also broken down on our website, um, because it is a very special thing for the moms in our area, for the babies in our area, um, and thank you for being so educated on it, but also for helping us learn a little bit, as we are, um, I don't know just trying to support the moms in our area, so you are so knowledgeable. Thank you for coming on and sharing that with us, and thank you all for joining us on, and so Much More Thank you. It's a privilege.
