Breastfeeding can be both rewarding and challenging. Learning the basics puts you and your baby on the path to success. As a Baby-Friendly hospital, we have policies and care practices that meet the gold standard for mother/ baby care practices related to breastfeeding. We are dedicated to providing breastfeeding education and support to help you and your new baby get off to the best start.
Breastfeeding Classes
Our Patient Education Department provides various courses to prepare you for breastfeeding whether you are pregnant with one or multiple babies.
You can register for classes and events by signing up for or logging into your MyHealthOne account, where you can pay for the class or event, and receive a registration receipt, and confirmation email. Classes fill quickly, so be sure to register early. If you need to cancel or make changes to your registration, please notify us as soon as possible. A 25% service charge for class cancellations applies. We provide free parking during classes, which meet on a regular schedule excluding holidays.
We are pleased to offer online education as an alternative for those who cannot attend a conventional childbirth or breastfeeding class due to bed rest, scheduling conflicts, travel, or time constraints.
Please take advantage of our FREE online course, Breastfeeding, a Great Start, which covers the basics of how your body produces and releases milk, to get the baby properly positioned at breast, to know if your baby is getting enough, and to pump and store your breast milk. Taking it is the best way to learn the basics of breastfeeding to prepare you for our in-person class, where you will:
- Learn how to get off to a great start while in the hospital
- Practice positioning and latch-on techniques
- Learn how to express, store, and prepare breast milk
- Learn how to start breastfeeding if your baby is in the NICU
- Discuss common misconceptions
- Where: Breastfeeding: A great start
- Code: No code needed
After taking the online breastfeeding class, come to this in person class to ask questions and practice with models. We strongly encourage attendance by your spouse or support person. A breastfeeding educator will provide guidance on how to get off to the best start and give resources to find help if needed. A range of breast pumps will be on display for you to examine. Pumping and handling of expressed breast milk will be covered.
- Find out how to get off to the best start in the hospital
- Practice positioning and latch-on techniques
- Learn how to express, store, and prepare breast milk
- See how partners/family can help
- Take home resources for more information and assistance
Attendance by your spouse, partner, or support person is strongly encouraged. We recommend taking the online breastfeeding class before attending.
Expecting twins, triplets, or more? Providing mother’s milk to more than one baby is a challenge, but can be done. To learn how to be as successful as possible, attend this supplemental class for those expecting and planning to breastfeed multiples. All participants will need to know the basics of breastfeeding before attending. We recommend having taken our free online breastfeeding class, as well our Breastfeeding Basics and Beyond course.
Breastfeeding Support Groups
We believe in connection and community, which is why we host various support groups at The Woman's Hospital of Texas in an open and secure environment.
The Education Department at The Woman’s Hospital of Texas hosts support groups to help families handle the physical and emotional changes that come with newborn care and parenthood. All our support groups are free of charge. No registration is required to attend. Parking will be validated. Excluding holidays, support groups meet on a regular schedule.
Led by experienced Lactation Educators, the New Mom's Lactation Support Group is for women with newborns up to six-weeks-old. Receive assistance with latch-on, ask questions about breastfeeding, weigh your baby, and share concerns with other mothers. Female support people only. No older children, please.
La Leche League is an international, nonprofit, nonsectarian organization dedicated to providing education, information, support, and encouragement to women who choose to breastfeed. Experienced breastfeeding mothers lead the monthly meetings.
Meetings are held at locations throughout the Greater Houston area. La Leche League of Bellaire/West University meets monthly at The Woman's Hospital of Texas. All women are welcome during pregnancy and after the baby arrives. In order to offer the most comfortable and sensitive environment, we ask that only women and babies attend.
Breastfeeding Support Services
From specialized healthcare professionals to dedicated departments, we provide services to help support women with breastfeeding and newborn care.
In addition to our trained nursing staff and breastfeeding educators, International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) are available to assist you with breastfeeding concerns during your hospital stay. They are available to discuss beneficial techniques and to help you through those first few breastfeeding sessions. Breastfeeding programs are available on the interactive TV in patient rooms. We also offer a free online breastfeeding course as well as a live course taught by our breastfeeding educators.
Education about breastfeeding, as well as other topics of interest to new parents, is available from The Newborn Channel both on your home computer and your hospital room television. At home, go to Newborn Channel and enter the Woman’s Hospital password, 06741. In your hospital room you will find the program guide at your bedside.
Did you know that mothers with extra breast milk can donate it to be pasteurized and fed to infants who need it? You can learn more about this from the Human Milk Banking Association of North America. There are 23 human milk banks in North America and we are fortunate to have 2 of them in Texas. The Woman’s Hospital of Texas serves as a drop off site for milk donations to The Mothers’ Milk Bank of Austin.