Open Accessibility Menu
Hide
661-326-2000
661-326-2000

Better Beginnings

Better Beginnings Logo

Kern Medical offers Better Beginnings, a program which journeys with the mother and child from early in pregnancy throughout labor to post delivery care of mother and baby. Better Beginnings is designed to aid in creating a tailored plan that is best suited for the unique and individual needs of each patient. We offer support and educational opportunities during this time, including Prenatal classes, exploring different pain relief options, an Exclusive Human Milk Diet for your new baby, several other resources, as well as education on some of the supplies needed to make your home safe for your family.

If you would like us to help personalize your birth plan, please call 661.326.2760 to make an appointment.

Exclusive Human Milk Diet

Kern Medical was the first hospital in Kern County offering an exclusive human milk diet. We partnered with Prolacta Bioscience to provide this exclusive human milk diet to premature newborns by using human milk fortifiers. A human milk fortifier is a product made from donor milk and added to mom’s own milk or donor breast milk to provide more calories, protein, and minerals per serving without increasing the volume of the feeding. Babies born early require more nutrition to grow and often can only tolerate small amounts of milk. Studies show that NICU babies on an exclusive human milk diet tolerate feedings better, grow faster, and go home to their families sooner than NICU babies on cow’s milk-derived fortifiers.

For term infants needing just a little more than mother can provide, we have partnered with San Jose Milk Bank to provide donor breast milk to supplement mothers own milk. Our lactation staff, available 24 hours per day, assist mothers to maximize their own milk supply while supporting the infant with donor breast milk.

For more information, please call 661.326.2000 to schedule an appointment.

Resources