Breastfeeding Resources
Breastfeeding Classes
Breastfeeding classes cover the function and structure of the breast, latching and positioning, nutrition, feeding patterns, growth spurts and recommendations on pumping and storage of breast milk.
Lactation Clinic
The Lactation Clinic offers support, education, and resources to help new parents meet their breastfeeding goals.
Virtual Breastfeeding Support Group
Happening virtually on Wednesdays at 2 pm, this group provides support and guidance for breastfeeding, parenting and healing after childbirth.
New Parent Support Groups
Weekly groups for pregnant patients, new mothers and their families provide a friendly and supportive environment to discuss questions about breastfeeding, newborn care and adjusting to parenthood.
Additional Resources
Breastfeeding is natural, but it doesn’t always come naturally. The resources on this list can provide helpful hints for feeding your baby. This list does not indicate an endorsement by Mass General of any products or services offered by the companies included.
Hand Expression Guide (PDF)
Hand-expressing milk in the early hours and days following delivery can help make breastfeeding more comfortable and help you make more milk.
Breastfeeding Tips
Read tips about initiating breastfeeding, to use a pacifier or not, and more.
ZipMilk.org
Access localized information about lactation consultants, support groups and mother-to-mother breastfeeding educators.
Droplet
These external resources from Droplet aim to help new parents learn effective breastfeeding techniques in order to prevent common challenges.
Mother's Milk Bank
A non-profit, community-supported group that provides human donor milk.
KellyMom
Articles about parenting and breastfeeding, including common breastfeeding challenges.
Breastfeeding Video Series
Global Health Media Project’s breastfeeding video series were created to help parents see and learn about breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding Video from MA Dept of Health
The Massachusetts Department of Health presents this video as part of their Breastfeeding Initiative
New Parent Support Group
Calendar of breastfeeding support groups in the greater Boston area.
Ready, Set, Baby
A guide to welcoming your new family member.
Recursos en Español
- Guía de lactancia maternal: Cómo tener un excelente comienzo (PDF)
- Guía para la familia y la lactancia (PDF)
- Comenzando con la lactancia materna (vídeo)
- Ready, Set, Baby: Una guía para darle la bienvenida al nuevo miembro de la familia
- Producir más leche más rápido: Guía para la extracción manual
- Aspectos a tener en cuenta al elegir un extractor de leche
Mass General Is a Baby-Friendly Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital became certified as a Baby-Friendly Hospital on November 25, 2015. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is a program of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), dedicated to ensuring that all birthing hospitals and centers support new parents as they begin to breastfeed.
At Mass General, we have implemented several programs as part of the initiative, including rooming-in, using pacifiers only for medical reasons and practicing skin-to-skin parent-baby bonding. These practices have shown to increase rates of breastfeeding.
Learn about Mass General’s efforts to help parents meet their breastfeeding goals.
Support for Our Patients
At the Mass General OB/GYN Department, each patient is an important member of her own care team. To support you, we offer education resources such as childbirth classes, pregnancy-related information and access to women's health resources.