Ponam_Kaytal_20170720-7997When Ponam gave birth to baby Kaia in May, they both required extra support – Kaia was underweight and Ponam was having trouble breastfeeding. As patients, they were referred to a brand new resource available at St. Joe’s – our Newborn Clinic.

The Newborn Clinic supports babies who are discharged but need a final next-day assessment because of jaundice, weight loss or difficulty feeding. The clinic provides direct, one-on-one support from a paediatrician and lactation consultant, extending newborn outpatient services to our patients and families out of the existing CIBC Just for Kids Clinic.

For Ponam, it helped her feel comfortable at home with a new baby.

“We were really stressed at the time because there was so much weight loss – it was really overwhelming,” she said, “and the team in the clinic said, ‘Don’t worry – we’ll figure it out.’”

With support from the clinic, Ponam was able to take Kaia home. “I’ve been so impressed with the care and support at St. Joe’s,” she said, “and I’ve been raving about it ever since I left. The comfort and quality of care I was given was amazing.”

Breastfeeding is one of the areas that moms require the most support for after having a baby, and we offer a range of services to help — including through our Newborn Clinic, classes in our Family Birthing Centre and, for some, an in-room visit with a lactation consultant.

“We know that not every mom’s experience with breastfeeding is going to be easy,” said Deborah Noar, our lactation consultant, “which is why we provide this additional service for them. Our goal is to make sure infants are healthy and moms are confident feeding their babies.”