Bio

She's helped half of Scott County feed their babies. You may have heard this saying about Kris Beuch, RN, Family Birth Place and lactation consultant at St. Francis Regional Medical Center. If you do the math, that estimate may not be far off. Beuch began her career as a registered nurse in St. Francis' labor and delivery unit 43 years ago, and became a breastfeeding advocate soon after.

In 1975, there was little medical research about the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding, and few mothers chose to do it. There also wasn't a dedicated nursing specialty around lactation support. Yet on occasion, new mothers would call the hospital and ask if there was anyone who could help them overcome breastfeeding challenges.

This sparked Beuch's interest in breastfeeding support. But what really inspired her to become a lactation consultant was her own experience as a new mother. When her daughter was born, Beuch struggled with pain and engorgement while following a rigid feeding plan from her doctor that didn't feel right to her. Once she gave into her intuition and focused on what naturally worked best for her and her baby, everything fell into place. She recognized how valuable help from an expert would have been, and decided to specialize her skillset so she could help other moms and their infants.

After completing specific classes, exams and a credentialing process, Beuch became a certified lactation consultant in 1994 and applied for a grant to provide breast pumps and breastfeeding education to mothers delivering at St. Francis. She also began instructing doctors and other nurses on the benefits of exclusive breastfeeding. Supporting mothers who wished to breastfeed requires a different way of doing things in the immediate hours and days following the birth of a baby, which meant health care professionals had to update their processes to help mothers and babies get off to a successful breastfeeding start.

Location

1455 St Francis Ave Shakopee Minnesota 55379

Languages

English

Home visits

No