Hilary Partners With Breastfeeding Clinic to Help
Son Move From 1st to 75th Weight Percentile
Hilary B.’s son was born at 37 weeks with health concerns typical of a
near-term baby. He was jaundiced, in the 1st percentile for weight and refused to breastfeed. His condition required him to remain in the hospital to receive light therapy.
It was Gwenan Wilbur, an international board-certified lactation consultant in the
breastfeeding clinic at Swedish Hospital, who worked with Hilary to introduce her baby to breastfeeding. Despite that assistance, the baby continued to have difficulty breastfeeding, and doctors said they would need to supplement the baby’s diet with formula. “I was very worried about how this would affect my ability to breastfeed,” Hilary said, “but I realized it was necessary.”
It took seven weeks for Hilary’s son to be able to breastfeed exclusively. “This was an incredibly challenging and exhausting experience,” she said. “The clinic provided the physical and emotional support I needed to get through this stressful time.” She continued to visit Gwenan, who worked to teach Hilary how to protect and build her milk supply as her baby grew more effective at breastfeeding.
With Gwenan’s help, Hilary’s son transitioned to exclusive breast feeding and grew into the 75th weight percentile. “I don’t know what I would have done without the help of the breastfeeding clinic,” Hilary said. “Attaining the goal of breastfeeding my baby would probably not have been possible.”
One of a very few such clinics in the Chicago area, the clinic aims to provide high-quality lactation support in a convenient setting to all new mothers in our community, regardless of where they delivered. Services include pre- and post-feeding weight checks, feeding assessments and the development of a personalized breastfeeding plan.
By David Modica | Published October 09, 2015
