Postpartum care

Our board-certified lactation consultants are available to help you begin breastfeeding, answer your questions and support you throughout the initial breastfeeding process. Lactation services we offer include:

• Access to telephone counseling
• Breastfeeding education
• Inpatient breastfeeding assistance at the bedside, including for moms with babies in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)
• One-on-one office visits

When to call for breastfeeding help

There are a number of reasons you may be concerned about breastfeeding your child. While you learn how to nourish your new baby, we are here to help if you encounter any of these types of concerns, such as:

• If your baby is having fewer than three loose, yellow stools every day for four days after delivery
• If your baby is having fewer than four soaked diapers four days after delivery
• If your baby is not eating at least eight times per day
• If your baby seems hungry and won't latch
• If you are not experiencing any breast fullness or heaviness four days after delivery

To contact our 24/7 breastfeeding counseling line, please call (912) 350-8164.

Recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO), kangaroo care is the method of holding your baby to your chest directly after delivery, with a goal of promoting their health. Skin-to-skin contact can help your baby:

• Bond with you
• Cry less
• Have a positive first feeding
• Lower their risk for high blood glucose levels
• Reduce signs of stress
• Regulate their body temperature
• Return to a normal heart rate after birth
• Transition to life outside of the womb

Additionally, mothers who practice skin-to-skin contact experience:

• Increased bonding with your baby by experiencing their smell and feel
• Less anxiety
• More self-confidence in your parenting abilities
• More uterine contractions, which help the uterus return to its normal size

Newborns at our hospital receive a newborn hearing screening as part of their routine care. We can perform two simple and painless tests, including auditory brainstem response (ABR) and otoacoustic emissions (OAE). Most newborns sleep through the screening, and it lasts about 10 minutes.

As with our rooms for labor and delivery, our postpartum suites pair thoughtful amenities with the latest technology to benefit your comfort. Here, you can focus on keeping your environment tranquil and making those first few days with your baby extra special. These suites include access to:

• Breastfeeding support
• Enhanced infant security
• Sleeping arrangements for your partner

When possible, we encourage you and your child to stay in the same room together, which is called rooming-in. By remaining with your child, you may experience better and longer sleep after delivery. Our care team is available to help teach you soothing techniques, so you and your baby can achieve this and prioritize your collective rest.