June 30, 2022

Mercy Medical Center, Nest Collaborative to provide online lactation support  

REGIONAL
Staff report

Mercy Medical Center’s Family Life Center for Maternity is pictured in this undated photo. (iObserve photo/courtesy of Mercy Medical Center)

SPRINGFIELD – Mercy Medical Center’s Family Life Center for Maternity (FLC) has announced it now offers virtual lactation consultation to families through its partnership with Nest Collaborative, the nation’s first and largest virtual lactation consultation platform.

The partnership will provide parents who give birth at the FLC access to International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants® who provide online video appointments to help guide parents through the breastfeeding process.

Breastfeeding is recognized by pediatricians as an optimal feeding choice that provides infants a healthy start and helps create a bond between mother and baby. Mercy’s Family Life Center for Maternity offers breastfeeding support before delivery, during the hospital stay, and after discharge to encourage, teach, and support families who choose to breastfeed. The new partnership with Nest Collaborative expands access to lactation support and gives families the opportunity to meet their breastfeeding goals. It also adds another tool to the hospital’s support services provided to mothers who deliver at the FLC.  

Prior to delivery, expectant mothers who plan to deliver at the FLC have access to breastfeeding education with the Nest Collaborative, providing them with the important information and tools needed for a successful start. All nurses at the FLC are trained in lactation support and are available during the hospital stay to assist mothers and babies as they begin their breastfeeding journey, supporting with positioning, latching, and care practices that support breastfeeding and promote lactation.

“Breastfeeding has important benefits for baby and mother,” said Cody Cuni, program manager and lactation consultant for the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride Program at Mercy’s Family Life Center for Maternity.

“When families do not reach their goals, it is often due to lack of support and services. We seek to provide support to families helping them achieve their individual feeding goals,” Cuni said. “Each breastfeeding journey is unique, and we strive to be there at each step. We also aim to equip families with the knowledge that will help them to make decisions regarding infant feeding that will fit the needs of their family without fear of failure or judgment.”

The Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride Program at the FLC provides breastfeeding education to new and expecting mothers and includes a peer counselor to offer support during the hospital stay and postpartum. The Nest Collaborative enhances the support given by the Breastfeeding Heritage and Pride program and is available to all new mothers delivering at the FLC.

Through the partnership with Nest Collaborative, Mercy Medical Center and Trinity Health Of New England are committed to ensuring that expectant mothers can sign up for the service at no cost to the patient, regardless of their insurance status. The maternity team handles registration for interested parents, providing immediate access to the service once they return home with their newborns.

Nest Collaborative’s proprietary, preventative care model increases access to breastfeeding support that creates more successful breastfeeding journeys, a longer duration of breastfeeding, and healthier women and babies. Its nationwide network of lactation consultants is available to families for same-day virtual consultations, seven days a week in all 50 states increasing access to the help that creates successful breastfeeding journeys.

“Amid the national shortage of baby formula, there has never been a more critical time to support parents in finding the safest, most appropriate way to ensure their newborns are well fed and healthy,” said Judith Nowlin, CEO of Nest Collaborative. “We are grateful to Trinity Health Of New England for allowing our certified lactation consultants to help guide hundreds of parents to the right choice for their families. Breastfeeding can be challenging, so we focus on helping parents find safe feeding options if exclusive breastfeeding is not possible or desired.”