Marilyn Hein

Marilyn Hein is the Family Birthing Center’s breastfeeding expert.  We do not have a lactation consultant, but Marilyn fills the role and wears many hats doing so.

She educates both patients and staff on the topic of breastfeeding.  She seeks out mothers and their infant at well-child check up’s both in the Pediatric Clinic and the Family Health Center.  She goes the “extra mile” to assist patients who need support and education.  Her teaching is creative with the use of models of the breast and life-like infants to demonstrate feeding positions and latch-on techniques with new mothers and their families.  Every patient who is breastfeeding is visited by Marilyn during their inpatient stay.  I know personally that Marilyn has received cards from patients thanking her for her assistance with their breastfeeding experience.  I have also seen Press-Ganey survey’s returned with Marilyn specifically mentioned by patients as being helpful, so she definitely makes a positive impression on them.  D.C. sent 2 thank you cards recently to the FBC to thank staff and one was sent specifically to “Marilyn the Breastfeeding Lady”.  It was very touching to see.

Marilyn shows respect and cultural awareness for out patients. A majority of the breast-feeding women she assists are non-English speaking and Marilyn always uses an interpreter when teaching these moms.  She understands that there are cultural differences in birth and breastfeeding practices and takes them into account when educating patients. Marilyn also makes phone calls to patients delivering at Broadlawns for up to 1 year to assess how breast feeding is going. 

She is innovative and creative. She is a role-model for all nurses regarding breastfeeding education and support. Marilyn has taken the lead of a unit committee in the Family Birthing Center focused on breastfeeding.  She also initiated a “Breast-feeding Support Group” that meets once a month.  Several of our staff is participants in the Polk County Breastfeeding Coalition also, which Marilyn is a member.

Exemplary practice also is demonstrated by involving Broadlawns Medical Center and the Family Birthing Center in the 1st national survey of maternity practices in infant nutrition and care conducted by the CDC in 2007.  The results of this survey are now being used by the unit breastfeeding committee as a benchmark in comparing our facility to other hospitals and birth centers across the county.  It is a useful tool for us in identifying specific practices and policies that can be changed to be fully supportive of breastfeeding.  This is Marilyn’s goal for the Family Birthing Center.

Submitted by:  Teresa Stevens, RNC, Family Birthing Center, Broadlawns Medical Center