When Hospitalization Interrupts Breastfeeding: Supporting the Mother–Baby Dyad
Hospitalization can be an overwhelming experience for families, especially when it interrupts breastfeeding.
Breastfeeding is about more than nutrition. It is also an important part of the relationship between a parent and child. When a mother or infant is hospitalized, that relationship can be disrupted, sometimes making it difficult to return to breastfeeding.
Join us as we explore the biological importance of human milk, the challenges hospitalization can create, and how healthcare professionals and breastfeeding supporters can help families re-establish their feeding relationship.
What You'll Learn
During this webinar, we'll explore:
- Why human milk matters: The biological benefits of human milk feeding for both mothers and infants.
- The impact of hospitalization: How illness, separation and hospital care can interrupt breastfeeding.
- Rebuilding the feeding relationship: Why supporting both mother and baby is essential when helping families return to breastfeeding.
Meet Our Presenter
Kaitlin Kaitlin is a clinical dietitian at BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver and a doctoral candidate at the University of British Columbia.
For nearly 10 years, she has worked in the hospital's medical and cardiac intensive care units, supporting children and families facing complex medical challenges.
Her interest in human milk feeding is both professional and personal. As a mother of three, she brings her own experiences alongside her clinical expertise and research.
One area of her research focuses on developing a simple, home-based method for preparing skimmed human milk for children with chylothorax, a condition that can make it difficult for them to tolerate the fat in human milk.
Kaitlin brings a valuable perspective on the importance of human milk and the role healthcare professionals can play in helping families maintain or re-establish breastfeeding during and after hospitalization.
