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Lactation Support Program

Our lactation consultants are here for you at every step of your breastfeeding journey. We support feeding goals with personalized guidance from pregnancy through weaning.
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Expert, compassionate lactation support

Lactation services provide expert support for feeding your baby, whether you’re breastfeeding, pumping, combination feeding, or facing challenges. At Mass General Brigham, you’ll find expert certified lactation consultants who offer research-backed, inclusive care and work with your obstetrician and pediatrician to help you achieve your goals.

Part of Obstetrics and Gynecology

Inpatient and outpatient lactation services

Lactation support is available both during your hospital stay (inpatient) and after you return home (outpatient). Both Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital offer inpatient lactation support as part of postpartum care.

Outpatient services differ by location and level of need:

  • Brigham and Women’s Hospital: Outpatient lactation care is provided through a registered nurse–led clinic with certified lactation consultants, supporting a wide range of feeding needs.
  • Massachusetts General Hospital: Outpatient care is available through a breastfeeding and lactation medicine clinic, which provides medical care for more complex feeding concerns. This clinic is designed for patients who may need a higher level of evaluation and treatment. Visits are billed as medical appointments.
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Our approach to lactation support and care

We provide respectful, nonjudgmental support and practical guidance, recognizing that feeding choices and experiences vary for every family.
Collaboration for comprehensive care
Our lactation consultants work closely with specialists across Mass General Brigham to address feeding issues. We may coordinate referrals to the Pediatric Aerodigestive Program at Massachusetts General Hospital, where experts address airway and digestive conditions that can affect feeding, breathing, or speech. We also offer advanced breast imaging through the Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center.
Breastfeeding educational resources and support

When you’re not with us in person, we make sure you have access to resources to support your feeding goals. We offer:

  • Breastfeeding classes
  • Breastfeeding videos and guides
  • Educational resources in Spanish
  • Inpatient bedside and outpatient consultations
  • In-person and virtual breastfeeding support groups
  • Telephone counseling
  • Training hospital staff on ways to support breastfeeding
Outpatient lactation support services

Our outpatient clinic sees mothers of breastfeeding babies, regardless of where you gave birth. Depending on your needs, services may include:

  • Breastfeeding plan development
  • Breast or chest exam
  • Interpretation of lab results
  • Patient education
  • Referral for diagnostic imaging or to other medical specialists
  • Support for a weighted feeding session
Baby-friendly hospital designation
The World Health Organization and United Nations Children’s Fund awarded our hospital the Baby-Friendly Designation in recognition of our efforts to promote breastfeeding for best infant nutrition. We teach mothers about best feeding practices, including safety with formula feeding. Our policies of rooming-in, skin-to-skin contact, and limited pacifier use support successful breastfeeding.
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Our approach
Our lactation consultants support a wide range of feeding concerns and situations both in the hospital and after discharge. This includes maternal and infant assessments and development of an infant feeding plan. Possible challenges include:
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Conditions and treatments
Our Lactation Support Program works closely with related programs. When needed, we coordinate care and connect families to additional services to support feeding, maternal health, and newborn care.

  • NICU Lactation Service

    Learn how lactation services at Mass General Brigham work with mothers to ensure successful breastfeeding in the NICU and at home.

  • General Obstetrics

    Get trusted obstetrics care at Mass General Brigham. Learn how we can support you and your baby through all stages of pregnancy.

  • Midwifery Program

    Midwives offer a wide range of services from routine well-woman exams to personalized support during childbirth. Learn about our midwifery approach.

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology (OBGYN)

    Our OB/GYN team provides personalized care for people throughout Greater Boston, eastern Massachusetts, and southern New Hampshire. Request an appointment.

  • Newborn Care

    Our pediatricians and care teams offer family-centered services that support the unique health and developmental needs of newborns. Explore newborn services

  • Neonatology Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

    Preterm babies and those with critical needs receive high-level care at the region’s largest, most advanced neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). Learn more.

  • Pediatric Feeding and Nutrition

    We offer compassionate care and the latest treatments for children of all ages who have feeding and swallowing disorders (dysphagia). Learn more.

  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

    Our Maternal-Fetal Medicine offers advanced prenatal testing, personalized care plans, and compassionate support for high-risk pregnancies. Learn more.

  • Women's Health

    Get care tailored to your needs at the Mass General Brigham Women’s Health. We offer personalized medicine, robotic surgery, OB/GYN care, and more.

  • Brigham Obstetrics and Gynecology Group

    We provide inclusive, comprehensive, and compassionate care for the full range of patients seeking expert obstetrics and gynecology services.

  • Comprehensive Care for Multiples

    Mass General Brigham offers focused care for multiples pregnancies, including prenatal monitoring, lactation help, and newborn care. Learn about our services.

  • Support, Treatment, and Resilience Program at McLean

    The STAR Program delivers high-quality outpatient care to teens and young adults ages 14–25 who are at risk of psychotic illnesses.

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Contact the Lactation Support Program

Call us to speak with a team member who can help you understand your options and guide you to the care that is right for you. With locations throughout New England and support for patients traveling from outside the United States, we make it easier to access coordinated, expert care.
Phone

Brigham and Women's Hospital
617-525-4120

Massachusetts General Hospital
617-724-2229

Cooley Dickinson Hospital
413-582-2096

Martha’s Vineyard Hospital
508-696-7294

Nantucket Cottage Hospital
508-825-1000

Newton-Wellesley Hospital
617-243-6314

Salem Hospital
888-217-6455

Wentworth-Douglass Hospital
603-740-2233

International
International patients
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Contact