Breastfeeding FAQs

It’s almost time for me to deliver, and my body hasn’t produced enough milk. I want to be able to breastfeed my baby, so what should I do?

Many women expect to have abundant breast milk available by the time their baby arrives. The reality is that your body doesn’t begin producing milk for three to five days after your child is born. Instead, your breasts release a substance called colostrum, and it’s the perfect first food for your newborn — packed with nutrients and antibodies and easy for your baby to digest.

Your newborn’s stomach is about the size of a marble, so they doesn’t need a large volume of food yet. Those first few times you breastfeed will signal your body to produce milk. It will be there, right on cue, when your baby is ready for it.

What if I’m concerned about what breastfeeding will do to my health?

You can rest easy knowing that, just as breastfeeding offers many benefits for your baby, it has been proven to provide great advantages to mom, too Breastfeeding causes the body to release a hormone called oxytocin, which helps your uterus return to its normal size. In addition, moms who breastfeed have a lower risk of hormone-related breast and reproductive cancers, as well as osteoporosis, later in life.

I tried breastfeeding with one of my older kids, and it didn’t work. Should I just give up?

Many factors come into play for successful breastfeeding. Two of the most important are education and support, not only during your pregnancy but also while you’re in the hospital for your delivery and in the weeks after you go home. One of the best ways to ensure you’ll receive the breastfeeding education and support you need is to choose a hospital that has earned the Baby-Friendly Hospital designation from Baby Friendly USA​.

Baby-Friendly Hospital facilities, including Adventist Health Simi Valley, go through an exhaustive process to demonstrate they have met a list of breastfeeding criteria based on guidelines from the World Health Organization and UNICEF. Nurses and physicians have participated in hours of training that prepare them to make breastfeeding the most positive experience possible for parents and baby. We will be happy to answer all of your questions and help to make this attempt at breastfeeding a success.

It’s great to have breastfeeding support in the hospital, but what will happen when I go home?

Adventist Health Simi Valley is there for you not just for the delivery of your baby but also after you go home. Our lactation consultants will answer all of your questions about breastfeeding and will work with you to ensure you understand how to help your baby have the most positive breastfeeding experience possible. Before you’re discharged from the hospital, we’ll give you a number you can use to call us, 24/7, if you have questions or concerns about your baby.

In addition, we offer breastfeeding classes, as well as a free breastfeeding support group every Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in our women’s unit. To attend the support group, park in visitor parking, go to the front desk and sign in. Someone will show you to the location.

For more information, call (805) 955-6304.

What if I really don’t want to breastfeed?

We will absolutely respect your wishes if you choose not to — or cannot — breastfeed. We are fully prepared to provide breastfeeding alternatives in the hospital and to help you with the education and resources you need to continue to successfully feed your baby when you go home.​​