Breastfeeding and Lactation Consultation

UConn Health is proud to offer around the clock breastfeeding support. We have a full time, internationally board certified lactation consultant on staff, as well as nurses trained in lactation support and certified as lactation counselors who are dedicated to helping mothers reach their breastfeeding goals.

Before Your Stay: Prepare by exploring prenatal education including lactation consults and breastfeeding class.

During Your Stay: Lactation consults are available from an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBLC) on site as well as supplemental support from our nurses who are Certified Lactation Counselors.

Going Home: Call 860-679-4106 for appointments or by emailing at mmerlo@uchc.edu. Outpatient lactation consult appointments are available at any time after you go home with your baby. Phone support is available if you just have a question that may not require an appointment.

Breast Pumps

Breastfeeding Classes

We offer a monthly prenatal breastfeeding class covering topics such as: benefits of breastfeeding for both mother and baby; how breast milk is made; how a supply is established and maintained; positioning for breastfeeding; feeding cues; teaching an effective latch; how to determine if baby's nutritional needs are being met and if feedings are going well; going back to work; pumping and bottle feeding; etc.

View our breastfeeding class schedule or sign up for a class.

Breastfeeding Support Group

UConn Health offers a breastfeeding support group for breastfeeding moms and their babies who are looking for additional breastfeeding assistance and a community support network. The group meets on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of each month from 1 to 3 p.m. in the OB/GYN Conference Room located in Labor and Delivery, Connecticut Tower, Ground Floor.

The group is an informal drop-in support group facilitated by our certified lactation consultant. Please contact Marisa Merlo at mmerlo@uchc.edu with questions.

UConn Health lactation consultant Marisa Merlo and OB/GYN Alexandre West discuss the benefits of breastfeeding.

Breast Feeding Benefits

Breast milk has endless benefits and research shows it is the best source of nutrition for all babies, but especially those born prematurely. Breast milk can benefit a baby’s overall survival, healthy growth and development, and immunity. The CDC, WHO, and American Academy of Pediatrics guidelines all recommend that babies be breastfed or receive breast milk for the first six months of their life if possible.

Milk Depot at UConn Health

UConn John Dempsey Hospital is the site of Connecticut’s only hospital-based milk depot for breast milk donations for newborns in need, and the only location in the Greater Hartford Area. We are proud to partner with Mothers’ Milk Bank Northeast, a nonprofit community milk bank accredited by the Human Milk Banking Association of North America (HMBANA), to bring newborns the benefits of breast milk.

What Is a Milk Depot?

Why Is Donated Breast Milk Important?

Not all mothers of newborns can produce milk or a sufficient milk supply. Mothers with premature newborns can especially experience difficulty producing or pumping enough breast milk while their baby is in the NICU. Donor milk is a more beneficial substitute for fragile newborns than formula. Donor milk is rapidly becoming the standard supplement to mothers' milk for preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). In addition, an increasing number of community hospitals with regular and special care nurseries use donor milk when babies need a supplement to their mothers’ own milk.

How to Apply to Donate?

Once an Approved Donor, Where Do I Drop Off My Milk?