title: The birth of the GEMs group: implementation of breastfeeding peer support in a children's hospital.
abstract: The need to support and promote breastfeeding is unquestionable. The World Breastfeeding Week 2013 theme, "Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers," focuses on "breastfeeding peer counseling." Mother support groups are traditionally community-based and little is published about peer-to-peer support for mothers who have critically ill newborns. This study describes the development of a support group established in a children's hospital. The Group of Empowered Mothers focuses on a unique population of mothers (those with critically ill hospitalized infants) and involves 3 basic tenets: healthcare provider support; mother-to-mother support; and Certified Breastfeeding Consultant Support.
authors.affiliation: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Mss Kristoff and Wessner), and School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, and the Lactation Program, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (Dr Spatz), Pennsylvania.
authors.forename: Kimberly C
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Kristoff
authors.forename: Rosie
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wessner
authors.forename: Diane L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Spatz
mesh_terms: D001942:Breast Feeding; D003253:Consultants; D005260:Female; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009035:Mothers; D017283:Neonatal Nursing; D010379:Peer Group; D011209:Power, Psychological; D012657:Self-Help Groups; D012944:Social Support