(Aug. 2, 2023) Expectant mothers and those who have recently delivered a child have better access to medical breastfeeding assistance thanks to new TennCare coverage brought about through the efforts of an ETSU Health provider.
ETSU Health’s Director of Lactation Services, Gloria Dudney, successfully petitioned the state to cover lactation consultations through TennCare Medicaid, CoverKids and TennCareSelect, effective June 1, 2023. Patients of these programs may now receive medically appropriate outpatient services from in-network providers during pregnancy and through the extended postpartum period.
“Breastfeeding is one of those things that mothers feel a lot of pressure to do,” Dudney said. “I want to make sure we’re meeting families where they are. Breastfeeding has remarkable health benefits for mom and baby, so when a mother has the desire to breastfeed, we need to do all that we can to help her achieve that goal.”
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for the first six months and found health benefits to extending breastfeeding alongside nutritious complementary foods for up to two years. Health benefits for the mother include lowered risks of diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancers of the breast and ovaries.
The U.S. Breastfeeding Committee recognizes August as National Breastfeeding Month. ETSU Health is celebrating the national theme, "This is Our Why," by sharing the stories of two breastfeeding mothers.
“In our region, breastfeeding became culturally less common for several decades,” Dudney explained. “Today, that means many mothers who want to breastfeed lack the family resources to guide their journey. Lactation consultations help bridge that gap, because while breastfeeding is natural, it doesn’t come naturally.”
For first-time mother Maria Isela Nuila Diaz, breastfeeding is an important part of spending quality time with her newborn during the all-to-brief time he is small enough to cradle in her arms.
However, when Liam was one month old, he still weighed the same as the day he was born.
“That was scary. I was thinking I was doing something wrong,” she recalled. “[Dudney] told me that I had to stop pumping and just do full breastfeeding. Three days later, I had to go back again and weigh him. He gained an extra pound and three ounces. I was so happy, I cried.”
The mother of twins, Shelby Richardson wanted to breastfeed for the special connection it helped her achieve with her girls, and for the health benefits for them.
“I had a C-section at 35 weeks and six days for the girls, so it took a while for my milk to come in,” Richardson explained. “Maybe a week or two later, my supply just completely cut off. I wasn’t really sure what to do.”
Through postpartum consultations with Dudney, Richardson received better equipment and guidance that resulted in her now producing enough milk to supply half of both babies’ meals.
“The experience is fantastic,” she said of her advice to other new mothers. “Go [talk to a lactation consultant]. You never know. Breastfeeding – they make it seem easy, but it’s really challenging. If you just meet with someone one time, or however many times works for you, you should just go.”
Dudney has dedicated her career to helping moms overcome feeding challenges by providing prenatal and postpartum infant feeding education and consultations. She is a 30-year veteran maternal-child nurse and an international board-certified lactation consultant. She opened the region’s first outpatient postpartum lactation clinic and now directs the region’s only prenatal lactation center at ETSU Health.
At ETSU Health’s Regional Lactation Referral Center, Dudney develops a personalized plan based on expert advice to calm patients’ fears and build their confidence. For more information, call (423) 439-7272.
ETSU Health’s OB/GYN and Pediatrics offices are located at 325 N. State of Franklin Road in Johnson City.
For additional breastfeeding resources and information about updates to TennCare coverage of lactation services, visit: ETSUHealth.org/Breastfeeding
With 30 clinical sites and more than 250 health care providers, ETSU Health is on the front lines of efforts to improve the health of Northeast Tennessee by offering leading-edge health care in dozens of specialties.