Haywood Regional Medical Center’s women’s care unit is focusing on supporting families through comprehensive maternity and breastfeeding services. The team includes skilled obstetricians, experienced nurses, and board-certified lactation consultants who work closely with new parents to encourage successful breastfeeding.
“Our team is dedicated to ensuring that every mother, baby, and family receives the highest level of care,” said Charlotte Muirhead, BSN, RN, IBCLC and Heidi Byer, BSN, RN, IBCLC. “As certified lactation consultants, we work one-on-one with new parents to guide, support, and encourage successful breastfeeding. The benefits of breastfeeding go beyond nutrition. It’s an act of bonding, healing, and lifelong wellness for both mother and baby.”
According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), exclusive breastfeeding is recommended for the first six months of life. Continued breastfeeding alongside complementary foods is advised for up to two years or longer as preferred by mother and child.
Breastfeeding has been linked to lower risks of infections such as asthma and SIDS in infants. It also helps prevent obesity, reflux issues, type 1 diabetes, strengthens immunity, supports cognitive development, and promotes ideal growth in babies. Mothers benefit from reduced risks of breast and ovarian cancers as well as postpartum depression and high blood pressure. Breastfeeding also aids faster postpartum recovery and emotional connection between mother and child.
Haywood Regional offers a full range of maternity services in a setting designed for comfort and safety. Their labor and delivery unit provides personalized care tailored to each patient’s needs.
“Every birth is unique, and every patient deserves compassionate, evidence-based care every step of the way,” Muirhead and Byer stated.
For more information about labor, delivery or lactation services at Haywood Regional Medical Center visit www.MyHaywoodRegional.com/Womens-Care or call 828.452.8445.
“We are here for you – every step, every milestone, every moment,” they added.
Haywood Regional Medical Center continues its efforts to help make Haywood County a healthier place for families from the earliest moments onward.
