We’re excited to announce that Children’s Minnesota now offers a free breast pump loaner program.
Why is this program needed?
While in our hospitals, many of our newborns and infants are not able to breastfeed immediately after delivery. This leaves mothers to depend on a breast pump to try and start and maintain their milk supply. Most breast pumps are designed to support an already-existing milk supply, but it often takes a hospital-grade breast pump to successfully start a milk supply if the newborn is not breastfeeding.
With gaps in the ability to get a hospital-grade breast pump within our communities, many mothers were struggling to supply the amount of milk their baby needed. Our lactation consultants, saw a need for these mothers to have access to a hospital-grade breast pump and found a creative solution!
In our commitment to our patient families and providing more equitable care, Children’s Minnesota now owns 20 portable hospital-grade breast pumps that are available to moms, free of charge, while their child is in the hospital at Children’s Minnesota.
How does the program work?
Who qualifies to receive a breast pump?
The mothers who qualify for a breast pump loaner are determined by our lactation consultants after other options to receive a hospital-grade breast pump through insurance are looked at. In addition to meeting the inclusion criteria, the mother must also be actively pumping and committed to providing their own milk.
How long is the pump lease?
The pumps are loaned out for 28 days at a time. The pumps are required to be returned to Children’s Minnesota by the end of the lease date or prior to the patient being discharged, whichever comes first.
Where is this program offered?
This program is offered at all three of our inpatient locations: Minneapolis, St. Paul and Coon Rapids.
- Minneapolis lactation office: 612-863-4638.
- St. Paul lactation office: 651-241-6250.
- Coon Rapids lactation office: 763-236-7430.
Success by numbers:
- Since the program started on March 1, 2023, and as of May 17, 2023, we have successfully loaned to 28 mothers now.
- In April 2023, we had 17 of our 20 pumps leased out to mothers, supporting 21 neonates in getting better access to their mother’s milk.
- We have renewed multiple leases for moms who came up to the 28-day term date and were benefiting so greatly from the pump that they chose to re-sign for another 28-day lease.