Advancing Mother’s Own Milk: A Nurse Leader’s Perspective on Medela’s MOM-Focused Solutions

By: Francesca M. Leo, DNP, RN, RNC-NIC, C-ONQS, IBCLC

As nurse leaders, we continuously balance clinical excellence with operational demands to ensure safe, equitable, family-centered care while navigating staffing challenges, financial pressures, and evolving quality expectations. Within this reality, few interventions offer as much impact, value, and alignment with our strategic priorities as prioritizing Mother’s Own Milk (MOM). For preterm and medically fragile infants, MOM is not simply nutrition; it is an evidence-based medical intervention that strengthens outcomes across the continuum of care.

Medela’s hospital partnerships support the goals we share: improving clinical performance, supporting nursing practice, elevating the family experience, promoting regulatory readiness, and sustaining quality across maternal-infant service lines. Their approach unites decades of lactation science with practical tools and education that help organizations improve outcomes and reduce variation in care.

Why Mother’s Own Milk Must Remain a Leadership Priority

Human milk provides unmatched protection, especially for vulnerable infants. Its bioactive components reduce complications associated with prematurity, such as feeding intolerance, late-onset sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity .1 An exclusive human-milk diet can reduce necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) by about half compared with formula feeding.2 Increasing MOM by just 10 mL/kg/day during the first 28 days of life can meaningfully decrease the odds of NEC by 19% and late-onset sepsis by 13%.3

These benefits extend well beyond the hospital stay. Infants who receive higher proportions of MOM show improved neurodevelopmental outcomes and fewer readmissions throughout early childhood.4,5 MOM also contributes to lower bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) rates6 and more rapid gastrointestinal maturation,7 supporting safer and more stable transitions toward discharge.

For individuals charged with advancing outcomes, enhancing the family experience, and fostering effective interdisciplinary practice, the evidence affirms MOM’s critical role in delivering high-quality, evidence-based neonatal care.

Clinical Excellence and Financial Stewardship

High-value care requires us to recognize how strongly clinical outcomes and financial performance are connected. A prospective study of 430 very low birth weight (VLBW) infants showed that complications such as NEC, sepsis, and BPD carry significant cost burdens, adding $46,103, $27,890, and $41,976 respectively to an average Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) stay.3 Increasing MOM use is consistently associated with reductions in morbidity and total hospitalization costs.

Research from Patel et al. shows that infants receiving higher cumulative MOM doses have 15–30% lower total NICU costs.8 Modeling from NICU quality-improvement initiatives demonstrates that raising MOM initiation rates from 60% to 80% reduces donor milk use by 26% and saves approximately $42,700 annually for a 250-bed NICU (Prof. Tricia Johnson, pers. comm.)

These findings support what many nurse leaders see in practice: strengthening MOM access is both a clinical imperative and a financially responsible strategy.

Innovation That Supports Families and Enhances Nursing Practice

Grounded in over 60 years of lactation research, Medela translates lactation physiology into tools that support reliable, consistent outcomes for both families and clinical teams.

  • Symphony PLUS® with Initiation Technology™: The only hospital-grade breast pump clinically proven to double the proportion of mothers who achieve target milk volumes and to increase supply by up to 50%.9 An irregular suction pattern that mimics early infant sucking initiates lactation more effectively, achieving secretory activation earlier and increasing daily output in both preterm and term mothers.10 Symphony PLUS® remains the most extensively studied pump system, supported by eight randomized or controlled clinical trials.9,11–17
  • Pump In Style® Pro and Magic InBra® Wearable Pump: These devices extend Symphony’s validated Maintain Mode into the home, preserving milk supply and continuity of care from NICU to discharge. Magic InBra® integrates FluidFeel™ Technology to replicate the same pumping curve for discreet, on-the-go expression. Together, they create a true hospital-to-home continuum that protects milk production and reduces readmissions.

Together, these technologies reinforce a continuum of care that supports consistent milk expression, strengthens family readiness, and reduces the risk of complications and readmissions.

Strengthening Accreditation, Compliance, and Quality Outcomes

Medela’s partnership model aligns closely with programs that nurse leaders oversee or influence, including Baby-Friendly USA, CMS Birthing Friendly, and state and national perinatal quality collaboratives. Evidence shows that structured lactation programs improve key performance indicators such as exclusive breastfeeding rates at discharge and the percentage of NICU infants receiving human milk.18 These outcomes are increasingly tied to accreditation and reimbursement initiatives. 19 Additionally, a 2025 US Preventive Services Task Force Evidence Report confirms that breastfeeding support interventions can increase the prevalence of any or exclusive breastfeeding up to and at 6 months.20

Medela supports hospitals by offering:

  • Evidence-based quality-improvement frameworks that reduce practice variation and sustain best practices across service lines
  • LMS-ready education authored by IBCLCs and nurse leaders, that equip front-line staff with the knowledge and skills to support every breastfeeding dyad
  • Evidence-based tools and technologies that improve lactation performance metrics
  • Clinically validated solutions that increase milk initiation, daily volume, and NICU human-milk utilization, reducing complications such as NEC and BPD while lowering costs

This integrated approach supports nurse leaders in reducing practice variation, promoting competency, and sustaining improvements across maternal-infant care settings.

Advancing Nursing Excellence and Magnet Alignment

Medela’s model aligns with all components of the American Nurses Credentialing Center Magnet Recognition Program and supports nursing excellence across care environments:

  • Transformational Leadership: Nurse-led lactation councils set MOM performance targets and communicate outcomes to executive leadership.
  • Structural Empowerment: LMS-ready modules establish baseline competencies for all bedside staff, with competency verification and refresher intervals.
  • Exemplary Professional Practice: Standardized practices improve exclusive breastfeeding in well-baby nurseries and increase the percentage of NICU infants discharged on human-milk.
  • New Knowledge and Innovation: Adoption of clinically proven technologies and protocolized early expression programs increase milk initiation, accelerate secretory activation, and raise daily milk volumes.
  • Empirical Outcomes: MOM-centered care reduces NEC, late-onset sepsis, and BPD while lowering total NICU costs,3,8 providing strong evidence for Magnet documentation.

Medela also provides template language and data-capture tools to help nursing teams create Magnet-ready exemplars that highlight lactation outcomes, interprofessional collaboration, and the patient-family experience.

Tools and Resources That Support Sustainable Improvement

Medela’s partnerships extend beyond clinical equipment. Hospitals can access:

  • A Human Milk ROI calculator to quantify savings when replacing donor milk or formula
  • Flexible equipment agreements to lower capital costs while ensuring availability
  • Clinical education delivered by IBCLCs and lactation specialists
  • Continuity-of-care programs supporting families from hospital to home

Medela also invests in professional advancement through its biannual Breastfeeding & Lactation Symposium, offering nurse leaders opportunities to learn, collaborate, and strengthen maternal-infant care across systems.

A Shared Leadership Vision

Prioritizing Mother’s Own Milk helps hospitals improve infant survival, reduce complications such as NEC, BPD, and sepsis, and meet key Baby-Friendly and CMS quality benchmarks. It also supports meaningful cost savings and advances systemwide quality goals.

For those guiding nursing practice, MOM represents a powerful intersection of evidence-based care, financial stewardship, and family-centered support. Medela’s clinically grounded solutions help organizations build and sustain environments where every mother, every baby, and every drop of milk is supported with intention and excellence.

References:

  1. Meek JY et al. Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022; 150(1):e2022057988.
  2. Quigley M et al. Donor human milk for preventing necrotising enterocolitis in very preterm or very low-birthweight infants. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2024; 9(9):CD002971.
  3. Johnson TJ et al. Cost Savings of Mother’s Own Milk for Very Low Birth Weight Infants in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Pharmacoecon Open. 2022; 6(3):451–460.
  4. Vohr BR et al. Beneficial effects of breast milk in the neonatal intensive care unit on the developmental outcome of extremely low birth weight infants at 18 months of age. Pediatrics. 2006; 118(1):e115-e123.
  5. Isaacs EB et al. Impact of breast milk on intelligence quotient, brain size, and white matter development. Pediatr Res. 2010; 67(4):357–362.
  6. Patel AL et al. Influence of own mother’s milk on bronchopulmonary dysplasia and costs. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2017; 102(3):F256-F261.
  7. Cacho NT et al. Necrotizing enterocolitis and human milk feeding: A systematic review. Clin Perinatol. 2017; 44(1):49–67.
  8. Patel AL et al. Impact of early human milk on sepsis and health-care costs in very low birth weight infants. J Perinatol. 2013; 33(7):514–519.
  9. Meier PP et al. Breast pump suction patterns that mimic the human infant during breastfeeding: Greater milk output in less time spent pumping for breast pump-dependent mothers with premature infants. J Perinatol. 2012; 32(2):103–110.
  10. Post EDM et al. Milk production after preterm, late preterm and term delivery; effects of different breast pump suction patterns. J Perinatol. 2016; 36(1):47–51.
  11. Kent JC et al. Response of breasts to different stimulation patterns of an electric breast pump. J Hum Lact. 2003; 19(2):179–186.
  12. Kent JC et al. Importance of vacuum for breastmilk expression. Breastfeed Med. 2008; 3(1):11–19.
  13. Meier PP et al. A comparison of the efficiency, efficacy, comfort, and convenience of two hospital-grade electric breast pumps for mothers of very low birthweight infants. Breastfeed Med. 2008; 3(3):141–150.
  14. Prime DK et al. Simultaneous breast expression in breastfeeding women is more efficacious than sequential breast expression. Breastfeed Med. 2012; 7(6):442–447.
  15. Sakalidis VS et al. Breast shield design impacts milk removal dynamics during pumping: A randomised controlled non-inferiority trial. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2020; 99(11):1561-1567.
  16. Yuan S et al. The Utilization of Sodium Concentration in Human Milk from Pump-Dependent Mothers of Preterm Infants as a Measure of Milk Production. Breastfeed Med. 2023; 18(7):506–513.
  17. Yuan S et al. A Randomized Control Trial of Early Breast Milk Pumping Interventions for Mothers of Moderately Preterm Infants. Breastfeed Med. 2025; 20(10):722–728.
  18. Parker MG, Patel AL. Using quality improvement to increase human milk use for preterm infants. Semin Perinatol. 2017; 41(3):175–186.
  19. Code of Federal Regulations. § 412.64 Federal rates for inpatient operating costs for Federal fiscal year 2005 and subsequent fiscal years: National Archives and Records Administration; 2025 [cited 2025 Nov 25]. Available from: https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-42/chapter-IV/subchapter-B/part-412/subpart-D/section-412.64.
  20. Patnode CD, Senger CA, Coppola EL, Iacocca MO. Interventions to Support Breastfeeding: Updated Evidence Report and Systematic Review for the US Preventive Services Task Force. JAMA. 2025 May 6;333(17):1527-1537. doi: 10.1001/jama.2024.27267. PMID: 40198081.

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The material presented in this blog represents the opinion of the author(s) and not necessarily the views of Synova Associates. Synova Associates does not endorse any specific products or organizations but strives to connect its industry partners with leaders interested in product/educational innovation.

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