North York General Hospital encourages mothers to breast feed and to hold their baby skin-to-skin right after birth. In skin-to-skin contact, an infant is usually held chest to chest in an upright position by a parent. This practice supports early and effective breastfeeding. Having your baby skin-to-skin also helps stabilize the baby's temperature, blood sugar and breathing. 

The nurses in our Labour and Delivery Unit and on the Mother and Baby Unit provide assistance and support to establish breastfeeding. Our lactation consultants are available to assist staff and mothers with complex breastfeeding issues. They are also actively involved in developing breastfeeding resource information, policies and in providing staff education. 

Some moms will need to pump breast milk while they are in hospital. These moms will be required to purchase a double breast pump kit.

If you are planning to breastfeed your little one for as long as possible, purchasing a breast pump might be the right choice for you. The Purely Yours Breast Pump, which is very similar to a hospital grade pump, can be purchased from the Mother and Baby Unit. The pump can also be purchased in the hospital's Outpatient Pharmacy or the Online Pharmacy store

Learn more about breastfeeding in our online Guide to Pregnancy and Birth.