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Breastfeeding Support

General Breastfeeding Information and Recommendations

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  • Breast milk is what every child should drink. It is a complete balanced diet that is always ready on the go and is also a wonderful way to bond with your new child.

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  • Breastfeeding is not always easy, and may be easier/more difficult for some women than others.

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  • No two women are built the same, yet we expect the same from our breasts. For example: One breast may give more milk than the other or one nipple may be inverted, making it more difficult to nurse on that side.

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  • Most of the pain associated with breastfeeding is preventable. The most common cause of nipple pain is a shallow latch. If breastfeeding is painful, ask for help with the latch. We have a monthly support meeting here at Hudson Heights Pediatrics.

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  • Other meetings are listed below, as well as names of lactation consultants. If your nipples are sore, keep them moist by applying lanolin frequently.  Nipple pain should lessen as your baby gets a little older.

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  • Shooting pains, or discharge that is not milk from the breast is not normal, and may be a sign of infection (mastitis); call your OB/GYN if this occurs.

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  • Breastmilk production is based on supply and demand. The more you tell your body to produce, the more it will make. You do this by either nursing frequently or pumping with a hospital-grade electric pump (does not have to be a dual pump).

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  • If you supplement with formula, your body will make less breast milk. You should pump if you don’t want your milk supply to decrease.

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  • American Academy of Pediatrics recommends 400IU of vitamin D supplementation daily in exclusively breastfed infants. TriViSol with iron is a brand typically used (though most any brand made domestically will do).

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Medications Safe for Breastfeeding Mothers

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  • Check out the LactMed website for a complete database on the side effects of medications taken while breastfeeding. This is the NIH’s database on medications while breastfeeding.

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  • Once there, search for your specific medication. Click on the closest result to what you’re looking for, remembering that most medications have more than one name, usually a generic name and a brand name (for example, Tylenol is a brand name, acetaminophen is a generic name; they are the same medication).

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  • The beginning of the page for your medication should have a summary of its use in lactation. This will indicate whether or not the medicine is safe. This summary is sometimes confusing, as it isn’t well known for a lot of medicines. The rest of the document will have the nitty gritty details.

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  • If after reading the summary from Lactmed you are unsure, please call us and we’ll discuss it with you.

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  • MotherToBaby is a non profit organization that specializes in answering questions about the safety/risk of exposures, such as medications and vaccines during pregnancy and breastfeeding

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Breast Pumps

  • NYP rents hospital grade pumps in their gift shop for $75/month (212) 342-8487

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  • Medela Hotline will tell you where you can find breast pumps near you (800) 335-9568

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  • Theresa Pharmacy, 66 Nagle Ave (212) 304-3949

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Breastfeeding Support Groups

  • Sipporah Tracer (IBCLC) 

    • Here at Hudson Heights Pediatrics, 180 Cabrini Blvd NY, NY 10033

    • Beginning Monday, May 10th 12:15-1:15pm (future dates TBD)

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  • La Leche League Int. (LLLI)

    • Inwood Public Library, (212) 569-6036

    • Third Monday of the month

      • March 16th meeting will be virtual

      • Dial-in number (US): (425) 436-6357, Access code: 577117#​

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Private In-Home Consultations​

  • Beverly Solow (212) 567-1112 (currently not meeting) ​

  • Margot Mann (917) 371-1948

  • Ann Anderson (in NJ) (201) 385-3423

  • Xiuting Hawkins (347) 978-4484​​

  • Dr. Mona Gabbay, Breastfeeding Medicine

    • Referrals involve special circumstances that go beyond basic needs, (914) 632-7999

  • Heather McFadden (646) 221 - 3147

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