Open Accessibility Menu
Hide
303-415-7000

Breastfeeding Support at The Birth Center of Boulder

Committed to Helping You Breastfeed

At BCH, we support expectant and new parents who want to give their babies a healthy start in life through breastfeeding. The Birth Center of Boulder (BCoB) is here to help you embark and succeed on your breastfeeding journey.

Breastfeeding: Good for Both of You

Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby, specially formulated by your body to nourish your little one with important nutrients and immune support. Breast milk and colostrum—the thick substance that your body makes during pregnancy and for the first few days after birth—is easily digested and helps establish a healthy gut. This sets your baby up for a lifetime of health benefits.

Infants who are breastfed have a reduced risk of:

  • Asthma
  • Lower respiratory infection
  • Certain allergies
  • Childhood obesity
  • Eczema
  • Ear infections
  • Childhood leukemia
  • Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
  • Gastrointestinal infections

Breastfeeding has many health benefits for you, too. Breastfeeding parents have a reduced risk of:

  • High blood pressure
  • Type 2 diabetes
  • Breast and ovarian cancer
  • Osteoporosis
Return to Top

Getting Off to a Strong Start

Being well prepared and having the support you need will lead to a strong start with breastfeeding, which ultimately will help to ensure a healthy supply of breast milk, fewer complications for you and a satisfied, thriving baby. Here are some of the ways our standard care at BCoB can help you successfully breastfeed right from the start:

  • Babyscripts myJourney’s educational resources: You already have access to extensive breastfeeding resources through your Babyscripts myJourney smartphone app, including videos that cover breastfeeding positions, achieving a good latch, expressing breastmilk by hand, recognizing newborn hunger cues and much more. Go to Resources and then click on Breastfeeding. Scroll down for many videos to choose from.
  • Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth: In the moments right after childbirth, your newborn will be placed, belly down, directly on your chest. Snuggling skin-to-skin stabilizes babies’ breathing rate, heart rate, blood sugar and temperature. It also increases the release of hormones that stimulate breast milk production, helps newborns breastfeed longer, promotes bonding and calms both of you at the same time. As long as everything is progressing normally, you and your baby will have at least an hour of undisturbed direct contact, during which time many babies perform the breast crawl and try to latch themselves to the breast.
  • Breastfeeding support: Our midwives work extensively with each family before they are discharged home, as well as at the home visit 24-48 hours after birth and at the office visit one week after birth. For special concerns or struggles requiring additional support, one of BCH’s board-certified lactation consultants are available to help as needed. Call 303-415-7230 to make an appointment.
Return to Top

Classes to Take Before Your Baby is Born

BCOB’s prenatal classes, most offered for free, will briefly cover breastfeeding. We strongly encourage you to consider an additional breastfeeding preparation class, especially if this is your first time expecting. This will help you and your partner prepare your expectations and ask questions before your newborn’s arrival. BCH breastfeeding classes cover many topics such as positioning, latching, reading your baby’s hunger signals and how to know your baby is getting enough to eat.

  • Click here to view our available parenting and birthing classes
  • See your Babyscripts myJourney app for additional preparation classes available locally and online. Go to Resources, select Breastfeeding and then click on Classes (Prenatal & Postpartum)
Return to Top

Support Groups After Your Baby is Born

Joining a breastfeeding or parenting support group can be a wonderful way to get support and to grow your community as you embark on your breastfeeding journey.

  • Click here to view our upcoming breastfeeding support groups.
  • See your Babyscripts myJourney app for additional support groups available locally and online. Go to Resources, select Breastfeeding and then click on Support Groups.
Return to Top

BCH is Baby-Friendly

BCH has achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation, which recognizes our efforts in giving babies a healthy start in life. The designation requires birthing facilities to have policies that enhance parent-baby bonding and, if clients choose, provide the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies. Click here to learn more.

If Breastfeeding is Not Possible or Not Desired

BCH supports parents who want to breastfeed, and also acknowledges that there are instances when breastfeeding is either not an option or not desired. For families who choose not to breastfeed or are unable to breastfeed, we will provide support with education on safe and appropriate methods of feeding your baby with formula.

Additional Helpful Resources

Return to Top
Related Physicians