Maggie McKay (Host): A look at breastfeeding and lactation services on this episode of Curating Care, a podcast brought to you by St. Clair Health, expert care, from people who care. I'm Maggie McKay and joining me is Dr. Jourdan Schmitz, Obstetrician and Gynecologist here at St. Clair Health. Dr. Schmitz, thank you so much for joining us today.

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Hi. Thank you so much for having me.

Host: Great to have you. Dr. Schmitz, you take special pride in being a part of a woman's journey, advocating for women at every stage in their lives. Is it fair to say that's how you deliver on St. Clair's mantra of expert care from people who care?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Yes. One of the primary reasons why I chose obstetrics and gynecology as my career, is because of the daily advocacy that's inherent in our field. I really take pride in taking care of patients through all of their important life milestones, from entering early adulthood, to parenthood transition, the menopause transition. Caring so deeply about each of my patients, both in my office and the lives that they have outside of my exam room is what drives me every day.

Host: Tell us a little bit about your journey to St. Clair Health. What made it the right fit for you?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Well, I'm a native Floridian and I'd actually never even been to Pittsburgh prior to 2017, but in 2018, I moved here with my husband to begin my obstetrics and gynecology residency at McGee Women's Hospital, and there, I learned to really appreciate evidence based practice and saw patients with a wide depth and breadth of conditions.

And I left residency ready to start my career at a place where I could truly get to know my patients on an individual level and know their families and about their lives. I just love practicing healthcare in a place that has such strong ties to the community that it serves. And that's what I found at St. Clair.

Host: And one of the things I know you're excited to share today is that you're now Double Board Certified in Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultant Examiners. What's your main goal now in 2025?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Yes, I'm so excited that I was able to achieve that double board certification, both as an OB GYN and an IBCLC or International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. And now my primary goal for this year is to create a place where those who are breastfeeding or hope to one day can know that there are physician level experts that are ready to meet them where they are in their journeys and help them overcome any challenges that they might face along the way.

Host: And in turn, as you build up that awareness, a byproduct of that is helping women who previously would not have had access to someone like you, right?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: That's right. Pittsburgh is really fortunate to be rich in lactation related resources in general, including other amazing IBCLCs that are here. But a lot of the care that was previously available was very pediatric and infant focused. And so as the only Board Certified OBGYN in the Pittsburgh area that is also an IBCLC and breastfeeding and lactation medicine physician; I think that brings a new element to the table.

Host: And you touched on this a little bit, but let's take a step back. How did you become interested in breastfeeding and lactation?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Well, my children are to thank for that. I have two children. And surprisingly physicians, even OB GYNs and pediatricians, get very little lactation related education in our training. And so learning about this particular interest is often very self-driven. And so when I was pregnant with my first son, I learned about how much it took to breastfeed.

I learned about a physician community, of all breastfeeding physicians, that was online and I joined that community, and learned there just how much I had to learn about the field for something that was seemingly such a natural process. And now fast forward several years and I now help moderate that group that's composed of over 50,000 breastfeeding physicians around the globe, which has been really rewarding and along the way I've breastfed my two children, with each journey having its own challenges, and that was really by the help of all the colleagues that I have in the lactation world, acknowledging that support is so important.

Host: I have to say, when I had my son, I went to this place called the pump station and that's all they told you about. And everybody there had their babies with them. And it was really a bonding experience. Fast forward 21 years, some of us are still friends and see each other like, every other month.

So I think it's a really good idea to go to one of those support groups, or just to learn about what you're supposed to do. Cause as a first time mom, you have no idea. So thank goodness for people like you. Dr. Schmitz, what's unique about this passion of yours?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Well there aren't too many physicians who choose to pursue this physician level of education in the field of breastfeeding and lactation medicine, and I truly care about helping people through any barrier that they have along their lactation journeys to the point that I spend many off the clock hours trying to keep up with the latest evidence in our field.

So I acknowledge that a breastfeeding relationship really, however that's defined by the patient as being successful, has the potential for a very positive ripple effect that goes far beyond that individual patient and their baby, but can really impact the community at large. And so that's really what drives me to continue pursuing as much as I can in this field and learning as much as I can.

Host: So let's break down some of the fundamentals of care. What types of challenges do you help women overcome?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: I help patients with all aspects of lactation, but I spend the majority of my time working with people in regard to a few things. I really work about the fundamentals of breastfeeding, over and under production of breast milk, breast and nipple pain. I help patients with medication and supplement guidance, and I help people overcome pumping challenges.

So people can see me about anything related to lactation, but I would say those are the things that I help people with the most.

Host: And what special skills do you have?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Well, a non-physician IBCLC can help with basic breastfeeding and lactation support, but it's not within their scope of practice to diagnose conditions or order a laboratory or imaging evaluation when that's indicated, or recommend or prescribe medications or perform procedures when those are indicated. And so a breastfeeding medicine physician like me can really help bridge that gap and provide that physician directed care.

Host: Tell your future patients a little about what that means for them, how you will sort of work to bridge the gap.

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Sure. When a patient comes to see me for lactation related care, all of my visits start with a thorough medical and surgical history, a feeding history, and a physical exam. A lot of times I see patients who have been referred to me by other physicians in the area or other lactation consultants in the area.

So I assess any previous lactation support that they've had and any challenges that have already been identified, in their lactation journeys and then work with them to define their goals and to achieve those goals along the way.

Host: Are those services integrated into your regular clinic day?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Yes, I see breastfeeding and lactation medicine patients right alongside and integrated into my typical clinic day with my regular OBGYN patients. When a patient calls to have a lactation related visit, our staff knows that this is often a time sensitive situation. And so they work really hard to get them in to see me in a timely fashion, and I work really hard to help make that happen.

I also, of course, work on the inpatient side of things, seeing new parents who are just starting their breastfeeding journeys, when I'm rounding in the hospital as well.

Host: And how is all of this different from other health systems and hospitals in Western Pennsylvania throughout the Pittsburgh region?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Well, there's not another hospital or health system in western Pennsylvania that has dual Board Certified OBGYN and IBCLC on their staff, someone who's practicing breastfeeding medicine that is focused on the lactating parent rather than on the infant. So while all the local hospitals do have some lactation support with variable qualifications, and there are breastfeeding clinics that are amazing in the Pittsburgh area helping pediatric patients, this is really, you know, a unique situation where there's now someone who's focused on the lactating person.

Host: And what does that say about St. Clair's commitment to delivering advanced care close to home?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: When I came to St. Clair, they were very aware that this was a passion of mine and they have supported this all along the way, acknowledging sort of, like I said before, that by helping one breastfeeding or lactating parent, we can have such a great effect in the community at large and in the health of our community. And so I've really felt nothing but support from St. Clair as a whole in pursuing this passion to the greatest extent that I can.

Host: And what would you most want people to know about when it comes to breastfeeding?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: That is a tough question. I think I most want people to know all of the many benefits that come along with breastfeeding, so that they can make an informed decision about how they feed their babies. I want people to feel supported in however they choose to feed their babies, and I want to make sure that that choice, like I said, is informed, that they understand that benefits of breastfeeding are not only about the infant, which is what we often talk about, but also there's many benefits for the parents, many benefits for the economy, for the environment. I think that is often a part of the decision that can be overlooked, and people don't know what they don't know.

I also want to know, want people to know that if they choose to breastfeed, that it will likely come with challenges, but that those challenges are ones that we can work together to overcome, that there's someone here that's in their corner that's ready to help them.

Host: Yeah, sometimes you always feel like, oh, I'm the only one who can't do this, which is so untrue. But on one end of the spectrum, there's going to be a subset of people overwhelmed by social media. On the other, they may not even know where to start. Like you said, you don't know what you don't know. So what's your message to folks wherever they are?

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: I think that my greatest message is that breastfeeding, while it might seem like a natural process is often one that doesn't come easily to people, but fortunately there are a lot of growing experts and growing interest in our field, and more and more evidence is coming out about how to support people along the way, and I just want people to know that people are interested, people care about them, and there are people here who are experts who are right around the corner.

Host: Thank you so much for sharing your expertise. This has been so helpful, educational, useful. We really appreciate it.

Jourdan E. Schmitz, MD: Thank you.

Host: Again, that's Dr. Jourdan Schmitz. To learn more about OBGYN services at St. Clair Health, visit stclair.org. To schedule an appointment with Dr. Schmitz, please call 412-788-1330. That's 412-788-1330.

 And if you found this podcast helpful, please share it on your social channels and check out our entire podcast library for topics of interest to you. Thank you for listening to Curating Care, a podcast brought to you by St. Clair Health.