Babies who spend their first days, weeks or even months of life in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) face some of the greatest challenges when it comes to breastfeeding. Certified lactation consultants at Children’s Minnesota can provide breastfeeding support to families while their baby is in the NICU. But what happens after the baby goes home?
Research has found that sustained breastfeeding rates for infants born prematurely are lower than full-term infants and that professional breastfeeding support significantly improves these rates (Lasby et al, 2023). The lactation team at Children’s Minnesota identified a lack of breastfeeding support specialized in the needs of preterm infants after they are discharged from the NICU. To bridge the gap, the team developed Children’s Minnesota’s first NICU telelactation program, which allows families to virtually connect with our lactation consultants to get answers to their questions from the comfort of their own home.
How the program works
The neonatology team at Children’s Minnesota began this program in September 2023. The lactation consultants on the neonatal team are Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and are also dual pediatric nurse practitioners (PNP) with extensive expertise in caring for infants born prematurely or with complex medical needs.
“I believe the dual IBCLC and PNP expertise we offer sets our program apart as it allows us to provide lactation support tailored to the unique needs of NICU babies after they transition home,” said Emily Nicol, APRN, CPNP-PC, IBCLC, who helped spearhead the program’s creation.
Parents can make an appointment before or after their baby is discharged. During the virtual visit, the lactation consultant can address a wide variety of concerns including latching, feeding and pumping breastmilk. They set short-term and long-term goals and adjust them at each appointment as the infant progresses.
“Parents might be surprised by all the questions and concerns a skilled lactation consultant can answer virtually,” said Emily. “If there’s something we can’t address virtually, we work to find an in-person expert in the family’s community.”
Anna-Kae's experience with the NICU telelaction program
As of August 2024, more than 100 families have used the NICU telelaction program at Children’s Minnesota. Anna-Kae is one of them.
Scans during Anna-Kae’s pregnancy showed her baby was small for his gestational age. This led to him being delivered early, at 35 weeks and six days, at The Mother Baby Center in Minneapolis, a partnership between Allina Health and Children’s Minnesota. Anna-Kae’s baby, John, was born in early May 2024 at 4 pounds, 9 ounces.
Anna-Kae was able to spend a couple minutes with John before he was brought to the neighboring NICU at Children’s Minnesota for additional care. Her husband and John’s father, Joe, went with their newborn son as she recovered from delivery.
When she was able to be with John in the NICU, our lactation consultants helped Anna-Kae navigate the challenges of feeding a premature baby. Babies born prematurely don’t have the strength yet to latch or tolerate a long feeding, along with other challenges. The consultants taught her how to start small to get baby John the important nutrients he needs.
Support without leaving home
Thankfully, John’s stay in the NICU was relatively short. After the family was back home, Anna-Kae was able to make a NICU telelaction appointment and met virtually with Emily, a certified lactation consultant.
“I remember going into it thinking, ‘let’s see how this goes,’ I was completely blown away,” described Anna-Kae. “Emily was able to help so much more than I thought you could virtually. She really guided us on how to navigate breastfeeding a preemie after leaving the hospital. It was especially helpful because we were getting support while in our home.”
Anne-Kae met with Emily every week for the first few weeks before decreasing to every two weeks to troubleshoot any breastfeeding questions or concerns that came up. The expert guidance has paid off. John is now able to primarily breastfeed through the day with only the occasional bottles. And he’s gained weight – coming in at 10 pounds at his two-month checkup.
“We were so excited to celebrate John’s milestones with Emily. She’s been such an amazing support person to have in your corner the whole time,” said Anna-Kae.
For Emily and the lactation team, helping families reach those milestones is the goal of the NICU telelaction program.
“There’s so much research that supports the benefits of breastfeeding,” said Emily. “It’s why we are passionate about helping families through the unique breastfeeding needs of babies who graduated from the NICU.”
