After having her son, Brayden, at Moses Cone Hospital in Greensboro, North Carolina, last April, Traona King found she had trouble breastfeeding him.
“I needed some assistance with lactation and I was really frustrated,” King said. “I felt, to be honest, a little defeated at that point.”
Her doula and lactation specialists reassured her that she wouldn’t be alone after leaving the hospital and directed her to a support group and to the N.C. A&T Community Lactation Clinic inside The Resurgent, Cone Health’s community-focused health care facility in East Greensboro. The building’s address is 1806 E. Market St.
The clinic, which is connected to the specialized academic Human Lactation Pathway 2 Program at N.C. A&T, in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, offers free in-person and video consultations to help surmount issues that may arise with breastfeeding. Multiple studies have shown that breastfeeding benefits the health of both child and mother.
King, a 2009 A&T graduate, wasn’t sure what to expect when she made the appointment. She was impressed with the new building when she arrived. “I thought it was a very professional place to be,” she said. “It made me feel more comfortable coming in because of the setting that we were in.”
The clinic has come a long way since its beginning in 2022 inside A&T’s General Education Building. It moved into The Resurgent building when it opened in April. Cone Health also offers women’s health, primary and urgent care services in the East Greensboro building.
“Operating out of this space means we can work in collaboration with Cone Health,” said Leatrice Priest, MAEd, IBCLC, project and accreditation coordinator for the A&T program. “It’s a medical space, so people feel more confident.”
Jessykah Aytch, BSW, IBCLC, the program’s coordinator and communications coordinator, and Cone’s lactation consultants are internationally board certified. Aytch alternates days with Cone employees at the clinic so that there is someone available Monday through Friday.
Studies show the first two weeks are critical for successful, long-term breastfeeding, Aytch said. “We see folks within the first week of their lactation journey, which I feel has a huge impact on the duration of their journey and also the success of it,” she said.
Montrea Stroman and Mark Walters brought 3-month-old Sanaya to the clinic in May. Sanaya was in the neonatal intensive care unit after her birth, so at first they couldn’t hold her. This caused a delay in Stroman’s milk production, and it was inconsistent.
Aytch helped Stroman understand that she didn’t need to produce as much milk as she thought. “You see all these people on TikTok saying they’re over suppliers,” Stroman said. “But as long as I my body is just making enough, that’s the best thing for her.”
Aytch said she has a love-hate relationship with the social media platform. “You can reach large populations of people, but a lot of incorrect information is reaching a lot of new moms who are desperate for information,” she said. “Luckily, our page comes up and they book an appointment.”
Aytch said clients from rural areas or even outside of the United States sign up for virtual appointments because their areas lack lactation support.
Both in-person and virtual appointments allow clinicians to spot things that may need more specialized care, such as a pediatric dentist or a pediatric physical therapist.
“Sometimes babies have muscular conditions that are making it more complicated for them to be able to feed, or they may have oral restrictions that we can assess and then provide them with a referral,” Priest said.
The free program can save parents thousands of dollars in appointment fees, even with insurance, and especially if complex issues are involved.
“We see people not just when they’re initiating their lactation journey, but also we’re having conversations about weaning two years later,” Aytch said.
Breastfeeding can be daunting, especially for parents juggling work schedules and/or other children. “It’s the equivalent of a job, taking a no vacation, no breaks for like a year,” Aytch said. “We want to be an encouraging voice, an evidence-based voice, and to be a voice who can allow them to create a plan that aligns closely with what they are realistically capable of doing.”
Both women hope other Human Lactation Pathway 2 Programs follow A&T’s lead. “It’s still the only free community outpatient lactation clinic connected to a Pathway 2 Program,” Aytch said.
“The more people are able to access free health care, the more beneficial for everyone in the long run,” Priest said.
