NorthCrest Medical Center's Certified Breast Feeding Program

NorthCrest Medical Center has Birth and Beyond lactation consultation services and retail store located on the second floor of the hospital, within the Women’s Services Department. Certified by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners, Tracey Barker, RNC, coordinates the NorthCrest Birth and Beyond program and works with those moms wishing to breast-feed their first or their fourteenth baby.

According to Barker, the NorthCrest lactation program was developed to meet the needs of this generation of moms in our community. “We realized that more and more women desired to breast feed their babies but didn’t benefit from another family member’s experiences. We opened the NorthCrest Birth and Beyond program because we identified a need to offer professional lactation consultation services and breast feeding supplies to the families we serve,” Barker states. “Not only do we offer breast feeding instruction while the mother is still in the hospital, but we also provide lactation guidance and support on an out-patient basis after she and the baby have gone home.”

“I believe this is a service that will benefit our community greatly,” states Tracey Barker, RN, NorthCrest Women’s Services Director.

Additionally, the NorthCrest Birth and Beyond lactation retail store offers mothers a full-line of breast feeding products and supplies. “We carry the Medula brand products of pumps, specialty feeding devices, breast milk collection and storage products, breast care products, breast feeding books, as well as specialty clothing,” Barker continues. “Of course, these all make great gifts for the mom-to-be.”

To receive Board Certification as a lactation nurse, Barker had to meet stringent eligibility requirements set by the International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners (IBCLC).  Along with passing the IBCLC exam, Barker demonstrated nursing expertise in the areas of practical skills, clinical judgement, research, and knowledge. The NorthCrest Birth and Beyond program also benefits from Barker’s credentials as a Certified Labor and Delivery Nurse, as well as a Certified Childbirth Educator.

Childbirth and parenting classes, as well as breast-feeding basics and “Friends and Family CPR” classes are offered monthly at NorthCrest Medical Center. These parenting courses continue to be complimentary to those delivering at NorthCrest.