The Program
How it works, and who it serves
Plans to Breastfeed
Our program is a resource for mothers who want to provide breast milk to their baby and/or plan to breastfeed.
An unexpected stay in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) hinders, or can eliminate a mother's ability to immediately breastfeed her baby as planned. NICU babies often rely on nutrition through an IV (intravenous) line, or a feeding tube to get the calories they need to grow because they are not strong enough to breastfeed. In the meantime, NICU moms must work hard to establish and maintain their milk supply with a suitable breast pump. This helps fulfill their breastfeeding goals when baby is well enough to feed from the breast or a bottle. While The MOM Project believes that breast milk is the best choice to feed all babies, we do not pressure mothers into breastfeeding. Our service allows all mothers to meet their breast milk goals regardless of their financial situation. |
Working With The NICU
Like many social support programs, The MOM Project relies on Social Workers and Lactation Consultants working in the NICU. These important health care workers identify families that are in extreme financial need and cannot afford a traditional hospital strength breast pump, and then refer them directly to our program.
This ensures that our pumps are accessible to families in the greatest need, which helps stretch our limited resources and make the biggest impact. Once a referral is made, The MOM Project's volunteers connect with the family to arrange payment and delivery of the rental kit. |
Our Rentals
After giving birth, every NICU mother is given a pumping kit for the pumps at the hospital, and those commonly rented from pharmacies.
The MOM Project uses a different brand of pump from the hospital, but it meets strict standards for hygiene, ease of use, and efficiency. So, we provide the attachments for our machines that can be used with the mother's hospital kit. Families do not have to purchase any supplies to use our program. Each kit includes a pump, the required accessories, a hand crafted baby blanket and a cooler bag for milk storage can also be purchased. |