Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital Helping New Moms Access Lactation Services Using Telehealth

New moms with questions or concerns about breastfeeding are now able to see an international board-certified lactation consultant at home using telehealth, thanks to a program launched by Intermountain Health.

The program offers video visits through Intermountain’s well-known telehealth platform, Connect Care, and is offered as an option in addition to in-person lactation consultations available at Intermountain Cassia Regional Hospital after new moms are back at home.

“It’s often day three or four after childbirth when breastfeeding is the hardest,” said Amanda Severe, RN, manager of the birth center at Cassia Regional Hospital. “That’s when their milk transitions from colostrum to really coming to full volume, and they’re on their own to continue breastfeeding without the help of nurses or lactation consultants in the hospital.”

The idea for the Intermountain telehealth lactation program came out of the pandemic and gave lactation consultants the idea to address breastfeeding needs with outpatient video visits.

“It’s common to have challenges with breastfeeding. There can be a learning curve for first time moms, and even for moms who’ve breastfed before,” said Severe. “Every baby’s anatomy is unique and their coordination and learning to latch on can vary.”

With many moms doing short, 24-hour hospital stays, there is so much information for nurses and lactation consultants at the hospital to go over with moms about their own healing and how to care for a baby, that it can be difficult for a mom to retain all of that information.

An example of this is there are new science-based standards for treating plugged milk ducts and early mastitis, which is an inflammation or infection of the breast. The condition should be treated with cold compresses, rather than warm compresses, as indicated in the past.

“The research shows that breastfeeding moms have lower incidences of breast and ovarian cancer, Type 2 diabetes and postpartum depression,” said Sean Esplin, MD, an OB/GYN and maternal fetal medicine specialist and senior medical director of women’s health at Intermountain Health. “And long-term breastfeeding, up to two years, is associated with protections against diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancers of the breast and ovaries.”

“That’s why, at Intermountain Health we’re working to support pregnant and new moms who want to breastfeed at every point of care – from prenatal appointments to hospital stays to postpartum visits. Telehealth lactation consultations are an important way to bridge the care from the hospital to the home, at a critical time for new moms and their babies,” added Dr. Esplin.

Telehealth lactation consultation visits can help with these breastfeeding challenges:
•    Milk supply
•    Breast and nipple soreness
•    Feeding positioning of baby
•    Pumping breastmilk
•    Plugged milk ducts
•    Engorgement
•    Mastitis
•    Supplementation and bottle feeding
•    Transition back to work
•    Re-lactation
•    Induced lactation, chestfeeding
•    Weaning

In-person lactation consultation visits work better for:
•    Challenges with baby latching on properly
•    Baby being tongue-tied, etc.
•    Choosing the size of a breast pump flange
•    Concerns about baby being underweight (pre and post weight from pediatrician’s office required).

For more information about virtual or in-person lactation consultations, visit the Connect Care lactation webpage. Intermountain also has a virtual breastfeeding class available for expectant parents. It’s a one session, two-hour class. Cost is $15.

About Intermountain Health

Headquartered in Utah with locations in six states and additional operations across the western U.S., Intermountain Health is a nonprofit system of 34 hospitals, 400 clinics, medical groups with some 4,600 employed physicians and advanced care providers, a health plans division called Select Health with more than one million members, and other health services. Helping people live the healthiest lives possible, Intermountain is committed to improving community health and is widely recognized as a leader in transforming healthcare by using evidence-based best practices to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes at sustainable costs. For more information or updates, see https://intermountainhealthcare.org/news.