The Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) urges mothers to exclusively breastfeed for at least the first six months of an infant’s life.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

  • Saves money! Cheapest form of nutrition
  • Saves time! No need to prepare and clean bottles
  • Breastfeeding provides essential nutrients and antibodies that help protect from infections
  • Breast milk is easier for baby to digest compared to formula
  • Breastfed babies are statistically less likely to develop asthma, allergies, high cholesterol, respiratory infections, ear infections, type 2 diabetes, childhood leukemia, childhood obesity

Breastfeeding reduces the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)

  • Breastfeeding reduces the risk of infant deaths due to sepsis, pneumonia, vomiting, diarrhea, and hypothermia by almost ¼
  • Breastfeeding reduces the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in babies born before 37 weeks gestation
  • Mothers who breastfeed tend to heal from childbirth more quickly and are less likely to develop postpartum depression, type 2 diabetes, and certain types of breast and ovarian cancers
  • On average, medical care costs are lower for family who breastfeed
  • Breastfeeding eliminates the need to create trash and plastic waste compared to formula

Lactation Services

Davis County Hospital & Clinics offers lactation services to patients during all stages of pregnancy as well as post-partum.

Prenatal Breastfeeding Information—Learn about the benefits, what to expect during the first few days, and what resources are available to you for continued support.

Outpatient Visits—If you are breastfeeding and having difficulties we offer face-to-face consults with our Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) in our Medical Associates Clinic. To make an appointment to meet with our CLC please call 641-664-3832.

Breastfeeding Support Group—Support groups are held monthly on the third Tuesday of each month in Conference Room D from 6:00-7:00pm and are free to the public. In our meetings we have lots of free samples, group discussions regarding education and common issues; as well as, we meet individually with nursing mothers to assess and troubleshoot feeding problems in order to help mothers achieve their personal breastfeeding goals. Feel free to bring your children, but please leave your spouses at home.


Meet our CLC

Alyssa Swaim has been a member of the Davis County Hospital & Clinics team since 2015. She is a member of the Medical Associates Clinic Department at the hospital, and as a mother of four breastfed children she has a passion for helping others achieve their personal breastfeeding goals. She obtained her CLC training and passed her certification exam in June 2019.