Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic

About the Clinic

The Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic provides support, education, resources, and care for lactating parents who wish to provide breast milk for their babies and may be experiencing or anticipating challenges.

The clinic is staffed by International Board-Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC) and a breastfeeding medicine specialist. For people who deliver at Massachusetts General Hospital and wish to breastfeed, your team of nurses and lactation consultants will support you with latching, positioning, hand expression, and pumping throughout your postpartum stay.

Outpatient Clinical Services

Outpatient consultations in the Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic are available regardless of where a person has delivered. Depending on the reason for the visit, a session could include a care provider:

• Examining the breast/chest
• Observing a feeding or pumping session followed by patient education
• Supporting a weighted feeding session
• Interpreting lab results
• Referring you for diagnostic imaging and/or to additional specialists
• Developing a plan to support breastfeeding success

IBCLC and Breastfeeding Medicine Specialists

Many new parents may benefit from a lactation consultant who can review the basics of breastfeeding, help with latch and positioning techniques, do flange fittings for breast pumps and address pumping-related concerns, and consult on other routine problems. Per their certification, lactation consultants do not diagnose and treat more medically complicated issues. A breastfeeding and lactation medicine specialist can diagnose, treat, and help patients plan for complicated breastfeeding and lactation problems, including persistent pain or low production, a pre-existing medical condition, diabetes or high blood pressure, previous breast surgery, complicated or frequent breast infections, or questions regarding medication and lactation.

When to seek lactation support

We are here to support parents throughout their breastfeeding and lactation experience. Please reach out to us with concerns about:

• Persistent low production
• Painful or problematic high production
• Persistent breast and nipple pain or damage
• Complicated mastitis (redness, swelling and pain in breast tissue that sometimes involves an infection), abscess (build-up of pus in the breast caused by an infection), or galactoceles (benign, milk-filled cysts)
• Prior history of breast/chest surgery
• Complicated medical co-morbidities including diabetes before or during pregnancy, high blood pressure, etc.
• Anticipated preterm delivery
• Anticipated infant complications such as cleft palate
• Discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) and/or preterm birth
• Relactating and/or inducing lactation
• Previous difficulty breastfeeding

Prenatal consultations are available for those with pre-existing conditions, a history of breast surgery, difficulty with breastfeeding a previous child, or anticipated complications with delivery.

Our Team

In collaboration with inpatient lactation consultants and postpartum nurses, the Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic in the Mass General Department of OB/GYN works with new parents to support their chest or breastfeeding goals.

Amelia Henning, CNM, MSN, IBCLC, Director, Mass General Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic

Amelia Henning, CNM, MSN, IBCLC, is the director of the Mass General Breastfeeding & Lactation Clinic, a staff nurse-midwife in the Midwifery Division in the Department of OB/GYN at Mass General, and a teaching associate with Harvard Medical School. She has a clinical interest in promoting breastfeeding and lactation, natural childbirth, and advocating for midwifery. She is a leader in the Mass General's Baby Friendly Hospital initiative. She sees patients in the Mass General Yawkey Obstetrics Program site. Amelia completed her midwifery education at the University of Pennsylvania and holds a bachelor’s degree from Wheaton College.

Annie Brewer, RN, IBCLC

Annie Brewer, RN, BSN, IBCLC, is a staff nurse in the Mass General Department of OB/GYN. She is an obstetric nurse who provides care for patients and families across pregnancy and postpartum. Her passion is educating parents about breastfeeding and lactation. She is a facilitator of the Mass General Breastfeeding Support Group and serves on Mass General’s Breastfeeding Task Force. Annie completed her nursing degree at Arizona State University.

Collaborating for Comprehensive Care

We collaborate and refer patients across the Mass General Brigham system to ensure parents and babies have the resources they need to meet their breastfeeding goals.

The Pediatric Aerodigestive Center, a multidisciplinary collaboration between Mass Eye and Ear and Mass General for Children, provides care for pediatric patients with congenital and/or acquired disorders of the aero-digestive tract that may affect their ability to eat, breathe, or speak.

The Avon Foundation Comprehensive Breast Evaluation Center is dedicated to breast imaging for expert evaluation of breast lumps, nipple discharge, and other concerns as identified by a breastfeeding medicine specialist.

Our colleagues across Mass General Brigham also provide a variety of general breastfeeding and lactation services.

• Brigham and Women’s Hospital Center for Women and Newborns provides lactation support services
• Newton-Wellesley Hospital provides breastfeeding/lactation services including a support group and outpatient clinic
• Salem Hospital provides breastfeeding services including classes, a support group, and telephone counseling