Tracey Schubert will never forget the day she sat tearfully in front of her child's pediatrician. She was overwhelmed with the responsibility of parenthood, fraught with worry about every little thing, breastfeeding included, and tired of well-meaning friends and family diagnosing the baby's crying by saying, "Maybe she isn't getting enough to eat." As a new mom exclusively breastfeeding her baby, that's the last thing she wanted to hear.

"It's akin to verbalizing my greatest fear – 'You aren't caring for your child,'" Schubert says. "Dr. Wolynn, on the other hand, spoke the magic words: 'Your baby is healthy and gaining weight at the appropriate rate. You are taking great care of her and providing her with the best possible start by breastfeeding.' I could continue on with the reassurance I wasn't completely failing at this breastfeeding thing."

Schubert was further reassured because Dr. Wolynn wasn't just speaking as a pediatrician, but as an international board certified lactation consultant (IBCLC). And he's not the only one in the practice. Pediatric Alliance in Pittsburgh, Pa., is unusual in that four of their pediatricians are IBCLCs. As if that weren't enough, one of the physician assistants is now an IBCLC. Another physician's assistant and a medical assistant are being trained and at least two nurses have the goal of becoming IBCLCs as well.

"The significantly unique feature of this practice is the importance we place on time and training of our staff and physicians in the area of breastfeeding," Dr. Wolynn says. "Almost all of the lactation consultants in our region are aware of the practice and frequently refer patients."

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