In the recent past, interest in and support of breastfeeding has been growing, as has the number of women attempting to breastfeed. Research has continued to show the benefits of breastfeeding for both children and mothers and to society at large. Dr. Pulliam has always incorporated breastfeeding support into his pediatric practice. However, over the years it has been clear that there is a large gap in knowledge about breastfeeding, there are still many myths about it, and most importantly, many women who try to breastfeed get bad advice, even from doctors, lack the knowledge, support, and encouragement they need, and lack healthcare providers who have the knowledge, experience, and expertise to help solve any problems. It has really troubled us to see so many breastfeeding failures due to lack of information and guidance, mismanagement of problems, and general lack of knowledge about how to breastfeed. Many women have been sad and frustrated by their breastfeeding problems and lack of support, and ultimately gave up on breastfeeding. We have been increasing our breastfeeding training and assistance to mothers over the years to try to help as many women as possible and to prevent problems before they start. Dr. Pulliam has provided breastfeeding assistance in his practice, started breastfeeding support groups, and helped Henry Medical Center/Piedmont Henry Hospital improve breastfeeding education and support, culminating in Piedmont Henry becoming one of the first Georgia hospitals to be certified as a Baby-Friendly Hospital, and helped found our local breastfeeding coalition.
Unfortunately, many women still face breastfeeding challenges. There is still a shortage of breastfeeding help for women, and the help women get is often very fragmented, with an OB or midwife who may or may not be helpful and supportive, as well as a pediatrician who may or may not be able to help, and the two rarely work together to help a mother-baby pair. Lactation consultants are available but doctors don’t often refer to them or even know how to direct mothers. Insurance companies often don’t cover the services of lactation consultants.
In order to help as many women in our community as possible, and to deal with these gaps and difficulties in care, we decided to start Eagle’s Landing Breastfeeding Center in 2015. It is a medical breastfeeding practice, which means visits are covered by insurance companies regardless of whether they cover lactation services or not. It is a one-stop shop, providing coordinated care for the mother-baby breastfeeding pair, treating both patients for any problems, and working with both to help mothers achieve their breastfeeding goals with confidence and joy.