An unexpected and heartwarming addition has joined the new moms in the maternity department at Rambam Health Care Campus (Rambam). Alternative medicine is increasingly being integrated into traditional medical treatments to reduce stress, lift spirits, and ease the emotional strain of challenging situations. Idit Leiba and her four-legged friends (L panel of featured photo) are offering a promising alternative.
Tinka, a young and endearing golden Labrador, is a beloved ‘staff member’ at Rambam. Her trainer and handler, Idit Leiba—head of Rambam’s Canine Therapy Service—is a familiar presence across the hospital campus and often seen at patients’ bedsides. Thanks to a new initiative, Tinka and other therapy dogs now visit new mothers at the hospital, helping them through the stressful first days after childbirth. Therapy dogs are known to stimulate the release of endorphins and support emotional well-being, both significant in breastfeeding.
The first meeting between a mother and her baby is often magical and deeply emotional, typically accompanied by the start of breastfeeding. While breastfeeding offers significant nutritional and immune-building benefits, it can be difficult for many women.
“A therapy dog is a unique tool,” says Ella Aharonson-Roth, Head Nurse of Rambam’s Neonatal Department and a certified lactation consultant. “Hormonal fluctuations peak during childbirth and the days that follow. A therapy dog helps new mothers cope with postpartum pain, milk production, and the emotional challenges that can come after delivery. Being close to a dog and feeling its gentle presence can release endorphins and promote recovery.”
Maria Martzboy (32) recently gave birth to her second son, Roy, at Rambam at just 35 weeks due to preeclampsia. The condition required her to remain in the hospital for extended postnatal care. “Even though the birth experience was amazing, I was still in a hospital, not recovering at home,” she says. When the staff offered a visit from Tinka, Martzboy immediately agreed. “I have a dog at home, and she calms me. Tinka visited me twice—and when she did, I felt genuinely happy. She’s simply wonderful.”
Martzboy’s breastfeeding experience was emotionally taxing—frequent pumping and visits to the nursery and the strong desire to return home. “Anything that relieves that kind of stress is a gift,” she says. With Roy in her arms and Tinka by her side, she felt calm and supported.
Over her years at Rambam, Idit Leiba has seen her four-legged partner accomplish the seemingly impossible—bringing smiles to patients' faces, encouraging them to talk, helping them get out of bed, and improving their emotional wellbeing. She is confident in the therapy dog’s ability to support new mothers. “Therapy dogs sense anxiety, stress, or pain,” she explains. “Eye contact or resting their head on someone helps reduce this and ease the loneliness that often accompanies hospitalization. The calm they provide, along with their role in strengthening infant immunity, supports both mothers and babies during breastfeeding.
This initiative is gaining momentum at Rambam. Even the staff—accustomed to being surrounded by adorable newborns—admit that Tinka and her fellow canine companions bring strength and serenity to a delicate time. Their presence is heartwarming and inspiring, demonstrating the powerful role such programs can play in patient care.
In the featured photo:
L) Idit Leiba with two of her therapy dogs. R) Idit Leiber holding her newborn son, with Tinka and Idit Leiber at her side.
Based on an article that first appeared on YNet
