Breastfeeding Education and Support

Sharp HealthCare is committed to helping you give your baby the best possible start in life. We encourage new mothers to breastfeed, and offer support and education to help new moms succeed, including:

  • Breastfeeding support groups are offered several times a week with hands-on assistance by lactation consultants
  • Dedicated “pumping room” for Sharp employees who are breastfeeding
  • Every nurse receives annual education on breastfeeding and all new nurses receive four hours of breastfeeding education by a lactation consultant
  • Nurses encourage families to practice skin-to-skin with their babies — which encourages breastfeeding
  • Nurses encourage moms to initiate breastfeeding within one hour of delivery
  • Patients leave the hospital with a breastfeeding-friendly diaper bag and educational resources on how to breastfeed
  • Registered nurses who are international board-certified lactation consultants (IBCLC) are available seven days a week to support breastfeeding moms (inpatient/outpatient consults and breastfeeding answer line)
  • Sharp Mary Birch offers San Diego’s only donor breast milk depot so that parents of infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) who need supplemental nutrition may choose to feed donor breast milk
  • We offer breastfeeding classes to educate expectant mothers on how to successfully breastfeed

While we know that breast milk is the best milk, ultimately it's a mom's choice whether to breastfeed or supplement with formula. At our hospitals, we supplement with formula when medically necessary, which can occur in the NICUs and other high-acuity situations we handle every day. And, when parents have personal or cultural preferences for formula, we still provide a supportive and caring environment.

In 2008, Sharp Grossmont Hospital had an exclusive breastfeeding rate of 58.4 percent. Sharp Mary Birch Hospital for Women & Newborns had a rate of 57.9 percent. And Sharp Chula Vista Medical Center's exclusive breastfeeding rate was 48.3 percent.

For More Information
To learn more about Sharp's breastfeeding education and support services or to find a Sharp-affiliated doctor, search for a San Diego OBGYN or call 1-800-82-SHARP (1-800-827-4277), Monday through Friday, 8 am to 6 pm.