The Medical City (TMC), being a staunch advocate of breastfeeding, announces the formal opening of its Lactation Center, aimed at providing education and support to mothers before birth and throughout their breastfeeding journey. This developed as the Department of Health awarded TMC with a Certificate of Commitment to its Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (MBFHI) Program.

TMC is the first private health institution in the Philippines to open a hospital-based Lactation Center. It strongly supports the Department of Health’s intensified campaign to promote breastfeeding and complies with the DOH’s 10-step successful breastfeeding program.

The Lactation Center is headed by Lactation Specialist Dr. Cristina Bernardo who is also the coordinator of TMC’s Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI). Among the Center’s primary goals are to provide a positive breastfeeding experience for mother and baby, promote healthier babies and mothers, and encourage more mothers to breastfeed.

The opening of the Lactation Center coincided with the completion of the renovation of TMC labor rooms. TMC Labor Rooms have been renovated to provide patients a pleasant and more memorable childbirth experience. The main feature of the new labor rooms is a central fetal monitor that allows the physician to observe up to 7 patients in labor simultaneously. Each patient is hooked to an individual fetal cardio-tocogram (CTG) which is connected to the central fetal monitor.

In compliance with the DOH’s Early Intrapartum Newborn Care (EINC) program, each patient can have one companion with her during labor. The labor room infrastructure was renovated to provide the patient and her companion more comfort and privacy.

A four-bed recovery room was also constructed exclusively for patients who underwent delivery to allow early breastfeeding and rooming-in of the baby.

TMC currently boasts of a 96 percent breastfeeding rate from birth to discharge.

With the growing number of mothers who choose to breastfeed, TMC saw the need to establish a center that would cater to all their needs. From prenatal breastfeeding classes to bedside consultations to home follow up, the Center’s lactation specialists and counselors support the mother in her decision to breastfeed with the most advanced, evidence-based information, with genuine and personalized care.

“The Lactation Center is the actual physical structure of TMC’s Breastfeeding program. While The Medical City’s expanded breastfeeding program is the backbone of the breastfeeding rates that we have, the Lactation Center is the face and the heart of the program,” says Dr. Bernardo

Among the center’s services to mothers are: outpatient and inpatient consultation, routine breastfeeding assessment, breast physical exam and counseling, development of plan of care, breastfeeding help and problem solving, referral to further breastfeeding management for problematic cases (such as engorgement, mastitis, and inverted nipples), and referral to support groups. The Center also offers an employee breastfeeding station, rental of breast pumps and other devices.

The Center likewise provides ongoing breastfeeding education and training to the medical and nursing staff as well as serves as the resource center for patient and staff. It ensures that breastfeeding policies, care plans and patient literature are developed, reviewed and revised as necessary.

The Lactation Center has a fully-equipped lactation station and consultation rooms manned by lactation counselors. It is open from Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 5 pm. And to serve the needs of inpatients, a lactation counselor is stationed at the Center 24 hours a day.

For more information about The Medical City Lactation Center, you may contact tel. nos. 988-1000 or 988-7000 ext. 6720.