To give babies a healthy start to life, Palomar Health encourages breastfeeding for all new mothers throughout their hospital stay, including at night. Safe skin-to-skin contact is encouraged as much as possible.

Healthy newborns will be placed and remain in direct skin to skin contact with mothers immediately after delivery until the first feeding is completed, unless medically deemed unhealthy for the mother or child. An alert healthy newborn is capable of latching onto a breast without specific assistance within the first hour of life.

All breastfeeding mothers are instructed about breastfeeding skills during their hospital stay. You will learn the following:

• How to properly position and latch
• Duration and frequency of feeding
• Understand feeding cues
• Suckling and swallowing for nutrition
• How to use a pump if you desire
• Assess if your baby is adequately nourished
• About milk production and release

To help you in your lactation decisions after you leave the hospital, we offer the following complimentary support groups:

Breastfeeding Support Group
Every Tuesday (excluding holidays), effective January 1, 2022
1:00 – 2:30 pm
No registration required. Walk-ins only

Bring your baby and join other mothers to get the support you need to boost your breastfeeding confidence. This group is run by a Lactation Consultant in a safe and relaxing setting where you will learn more about the following:
•            How to properly position and latch
•            Duration and frequency of feeding
•            Understand feeding cues
•            Suckling and swallowing for nutrition
•            About milk production and release
•            How to use a pump if you desire
•            Assess if your baby is adequately nourished

Call 858-613-4053 for questions.

Call 24/7 including holidays and weekends to leave a message for a call back from a Lactation Consultant. Please leave your name and number, and a Lactation Consultant will call you as soon as possible: (442) 281-3089 (Escondido) or (858) 613-4053 (Poway).