Aspen Birth Center Lactation Services

Aspen Birth Center lactation services are dedicated to your breastfeeding success.

The Aspen Birth Center at Aspen Valley Hospital has received a "Colorado Can Do 5! B.E.S.T." (Breastfeeding Excellence Starts Today) Award for their commitment to the Can Do 5! practices.

Aspen Birth Center’s Can Do 5! practices:

1. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
2. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
3. Practice "rooming in" – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
4. Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
5. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.

Learn what certified lactation consultant, Heather Knott has to say about breastfeeding on Grassroots TV

Support

• Inpatient Lactation Services:All mothers who deliver at the Aspen Birth Center are provided complimentary visits by a certified lactation counselor to support you in breastfeeding.
• "Bosom Buddies" Breastfeeding Support Group meets weekly at the Aspen Birth Center, and bi-weekly in Basalt at After-Hours Medical Care. This group is led by a lactation counselor and offers a great opportunity for professional and peer support. For more information call 970.544.1130.
• Aspen Birth Center Warmline. This phone line is dedicated to the support of breastfeeding mothers. If you experience difficulties after you go home, you may call to speak to a certified lactation counselor about your specific concerns. Your concerns may be resolved over the phone or by appointment. Call 970.544.1251.
• We encourage you to meet with our certified lactation counselors for any issues or concerns, to help you prepare for breastfeeding success prior to and after returning to work, as well as for continued support.
• Our certified lactation staff is happy to offer assistance and personal guidance when you are purchasing breastfeeding supplies from Aspen Valley Hospital.

For more information or to schedule a consultation:
Call 970.544.1130

Breast Pumps & Lactation Supplies

Aspen Valley Hospital
0401 Castle Creek Road
Aspen, CO 81611
970.544.1130

Target
110 West Meadow
Glenwood Springs, CO 81601
970.945.8006

Resources

WIC (Women, Infants, and Children)
Eagle County, El Jebel
970.704.2762
Pitkin County, Aspen
970.920.5420
Garfield County, Glenwood Springs
970.945.6614

LaLeche League Support Groups
Sally Lippman 970.945.6726
Corrine Merritt 970.945.9754
Barb Corcoran 970.384.2829
LaLeche League International (English & Spanish)
800.525.3243

Books

The Breastfeeding Book: Everything You Need to Know About Nursing Your Child from Birth through Weaning
Martha and William Sears

Breastfeeding: Pure and Simple
LaLeche League International Inc.

The Essential Guide to Breastfeeding
Marianne Neifert, M.D.

The Nursing Mother’s Companion
Kathleen Huggins

The Nursing Mother’s Guide to Weaning
Kathleen Huggins, RN, MS and Linda Ziedrich

The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding
LaLeche League International Inc.

Online Resources

American Academy of Pediatrics

March of Dimes

LaLeche League, USA

Medela

Medline Plus

United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)

International Lactation Consultant Association

National Women’s Health Information Center

Benefits to Breastfeeding:

• higher scores on cognitive and IQ tests at school age and visual acuity tests
• lower incidence of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• lower risk of juvenile onset diabetes and obesity in childhood and adolescence
• lower incidence of some forms of cancer (e.g., Hodgkin’s disease, childhood leukemia)

• a lower likelihood of developing ovarian and premenopausal breast cancers
• reduced risk for osteoporosis
• reduced risk for long-term obesity
• a quicker recovery after childbirth
• reduced risk of postpartum bleeding
• a higher likelihood of returning to your pre-pregnancy weight than mothers who formula feed
• increased self-confidence and feelings of closeness and bonding with your baby

Sources:
United States Breastfeeding Committee (USBC)
National Women’s Health Information Center

Aspen Birth Center Lactation Services Brochure (PDF, 361KB)