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Lactation counselor aims to empowerThe Birth Station at New Ulm Medical Center is dedicated to providing new mothers the best birth experience possible. This means more than facilitating a healthy delivery. For mothers, a huge component of a satisfying experience is achieving success breastfeeding -- and one they are likely to have in New Ulm. In mid-March, obstetrics registered nurse Jane Carlson received national certification as a lactation counselor. “Part of the reason I took the course is that I always enjoy when moms and babies get started on the right foot with breastfeeding,” said Carlson, who has been an obstetrics nurse for nine years, joining the medical center staff in 1999. “Many times, mothers feel helpless if they can’t be successful with breastfeeding. They feel like they failed their child and we don’t want anyone to feel that way. If they can leave here with a good breastfeeding experience, they are empowered and feel that motherhood is really wonderful and they can, in fact, do it.” Carlson said the medical center’s former lactation counselor, Karen Goeglin, RN, started the program in 2001. “With no breastfeeding support groups here in town, there is really no one readily available to help these mothers,” Carlson said. “The medical center realizes the community needs somebody who is an expert in the field. Although it will be a while before I can completely fill Karen’s shoes, I want to continue the practices we’ve started and maintain the high standards we’ve set. We are working to empower our moms to achieve breastfeeding success.” “I am a very big advocate for breastfeeding and I think it’s important to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth – it’s all a part of our focus on family-centered care,” she said. Statistics show that if the baby begins to breastfeed within an hour after delivery, there is a 79 percent success rate for breastfeeding. If the baby begins to breastfeed within 30 minutes after birth, that number jumps to 86 percent. “When we clean and dress a baby after birth, we can interfere with the baby’s natural instinct to seek out the mother’s skin and smell,” Carlson said. “So, at every delivery we work to be sure that each mother is able to bond with their baby, interact with them and begin to notice feeding cues, such as when the baby turns toward the mother’s skin or the baby’s rooting reflexes and mouth movements. During the 48 hours that the mother and baby are in the hospital, we help them to learn those feeding cues – to get them to know their baby and its own unique signals.” Carlson added that all of the nurses in the unit are excellent resources on breastfeeding and part of her role is to keep everyone up to date on new information and what is “best of practice” on the subject. Throughout a new mother’s stay, Carlson will also observe and help them address any problems that may arise. “I’ll point out the correct and incorrect sounds of swallowing, a good latch versus a poor latch and correct positioning for the baby,” she said. “For many of these mothers, this is their first experience with breastfeeding. They are eager to learn and be supported. I try to spend a lot of one-on-one time with each mother.” Sometimes, after a new mother goes home she may experience difficulty with breastfeeding. With a referral from her physician, Carlson is available to meet with the mother on an outpatient basis to help address problems and offer suggestions. “My goal is to be sure that every new mother gets the information she needs to make an informed choice about breastfeeding, starting with her early pre-natal visits. Once a mother has decided to breastfeed, I am available to help make the experience one that is good for both the mother and the baby,” Carlson said.  Back to Health Edition |
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New Ulm Medical Center
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