The Baylor All Saints NICU in Fort Worth, TX is a Level III, 61 bed unit. Here are some lactation tips for moms with infants in the Baylor NICU.
Getting Your Breast Pump
Hospital grade breast pump parts and supplies are provided by Baylor, hospital grade breast pumps are available to rent in Magnolia Boutique: rentals are often covered by insurance
Hospital Grade Breast Pump Scenarios:
- Cash Pay, (can be reimbursed by most insurances), $75 a month
- Infant NICU stay up to 2 weeks: hospital grade Medela pump covered for 3 months
- Infant NICU stay: 2 months plus/micro-preemie: hospital grade Medela pump covered for 1 year
Alternative: Personal pump mailed to your home
While in the NICU
Practice Kangaroo Care as often as possible by holding your baby skin to skin in NICU
Pump at the bedside in NICU, Baylor now has 24/7 video monitoring so you can watch your baby from home or your hospital room!
Hold “lovies” provided by NICU when pumping at home, bring them back to NICU and place in babies cot or incubator, your baby knows your smell!
If baby is unable to breastfeed, pump every 2-3 hours if possible.
Donor milk is available at Baylor.
Utilize Baylor lactation specialists, they are amazing!
I encourage all patients to have your post-partum nurse release your “lactation consult” order.
They will provide lactation materials and feeding logs, assist with latch and position if able to breastfeed right away, and educate you on use of hospital-grade breast pumps
Heading Home
Write down your questions/notes, you may forget when you go home!
Above all, have grace on yourself!
Breastfeeding is FULL-TIME job and formula is a wonderful substitution. Sometimes the decision to not breastfeed at all, or stop breastfeeding/pumping comes along. Remember, you have
Don’t ever forget, you are a FĒNOMENAL mom, no matter how your baby is fed!