Breastfeeding mothers are receiving support Monday with the help of an upgraded lactation facility in southwest Bakersfield.
Dignity Health Mercy Southwest is expanding its services to help mothers who need attention after child birth, "Mercy Southwest is now offering additional help when moms go home we have this out patient center now where we're available daily," Dignity Health Mercy Southwest Lactation Specialist and certified Nurse Suzanne Chernabaeff said.
For the last five years Chernabaeff has witnessed first hand where mothers face the most challenges in terms of breastfeeding, "Some of the things that are a problem are the babies latch. Perhaps the position of the latch, the position of the mother and the latch of the baby is not well established. Mothers and babies are learning and sometimes they are taking longer to learn," Chernabaeff said.
Chernabaeff said that creating a breastfeeding connection between a mother and her new baby can be challenging especially because of the limited time spent in the hospitals following child birth,"We found that a lot of mothers struggle after they go home. They have the nurses help here, they have the lactation specialist help here and then they go home and who's help do they have? Mothers really, really need assistance after they leave. They are in the hospital for 24 hours, how much help can we get in 24 hours right?"
Dignity Health is now expanding the lactation facility to provide more support for patients from specialist like Chernabaeff, “We're open now we’re doing some construction and it's going to be super beautiful when we are all done," Chernabaeff said.
Even though the official open house of the upgraded facility isn't until late next month Chernabaeff and staff are already working from eight to five, Monday through Friday supplying mothers with the essentials, "There's not too many people in town who offer hospital grade pumps, so the pump you would be using down in the hospital you can also rent to take home," Chernabaeff said.
Chernabaeff also said this will create a more efficient and supportive one stop shop for new mothers and their babies, “They should be able to get in to see us, or talk to us anytime after they go home. So that’s the big piece because it was really hard for moms to get in before."
One mom also took to our social media page expressing that she received strong support from the lactation consultants already on hand. If you need assistance you can simply contact Dignity Health Mercy Southwest.
