Lactation support is a critical part of postpartum care for military families. 

At DGMC, lactation services provide far more than help with breastfeeding basics. Moms rely on this care for urgent issues like mastitis, clogged ducts, feeding complications, supply concerns, amongst other matters often requiring immediate guidance to prevent worsening conditions or delays in feeding their babies. Without on-base access, many would face long wait times for off-base referrals, increasing stress during an already vulnerable time. 

Beyond the medical aspect, lactation support provides essential postpartum reassurance, education, and continuity of care. For many families, this support directly determines whether they are able to successfully feed their child and recover physically and emotionally after birth. 

For many moms at DGMC, lactation services were the difference between continuing and stopping altogether. Moms report that without this support, they would have been forced to quit breastfeeding early, switch to formula, or struggle in pain and confusion without answers. Several shared that they would have lost their milk supply due to untreated issues like mastitis, while others said they would not have known where to go for help and would have suffered in silence. Instead, with access to on-base lactation care, they were able to successfully feed their babies, overcome medical and physical challenges, and continue breastfeeding for months or even over a year. This is not supplemental care, it is outcome-changing support.

Removing this service would create a significant gap in care, increase reliance on already limited off-base resources, and negatively impact both maternal well-being and infant health. 

We respectfully request that DGMC leadership maintain lactation services to ensure military families continue to receive timely, accessible, and comprehensive postpartum care.