Breastfeeding Centre of Excellence

Jo is an internationally recognized authority on breastfeeding and was a recipient of the 2012 Award of Excellence from the Canadian Lactation Consultant Association.

In addition to her administrative role, Jo is a Nurse Practitioner in the NP Led Breastfeeding Clinic and the Professional Leader for the NPs at Sunnybrook.

Jo’s clinical role includes providing care for women with complex breastfeeding challenges. Jo initiated online consultations with women who have mastitis.

Jo is active in research, developing expertise in implementing randomized control trials, Cochrane Reviews, developing clinical practice guidelines, and program evaluation. Current research activities include investigating the effect of intrapartum fluid management for women with epidural analgesia on newborn weight loss in breastfed babies, improvement strategies for breastfeeding among diabetic women, and implementing a breastfeeding peer counsellor program in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Jo received her PhD in 2010 having conducted a randomized trial on the effect of conservative intrapartum IV fluid management on outcomes in breastfed newborns. She is a co-author of the recently published Cochrane Systematic Review evaluating interventions for the treatment of sore nipples in breastfeeding women.

• Watson J, DeLand M, Gibbins S, MacMillan York E, Robson K. (2014). Improvements in Staff Quality of Work Life and Family Satisfaction following the Move to Single-family Room NICU Design. Advances in Neonatal Care, 14(2) 129-136.
• Watson J, Hermann S, Johnson B. (2013). Developing a Policy to Support Breastfeeding in Women Who are Hospitalized and Acutely Ill. Nursing for Women’s Health, (3), 188-196.
• Watson J, Hodnett E, Armson A, Davies B, Watt Watson J. (2012). A randomized controlled trial of the effect of intrapartum intravenous fluid management on breastfed newborn weight loss. Journal of Obstetrics Gynecologic & Neonatal Nursing, 14(1) 24-32.
• Watson J, Hermann S, Kiss A, Lam-McCulloch J. Breastfeeding support for the pregnant/postpartum woman with diabetes. BestStart Resource Centre, Province of Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services.
• Watson J, Lam-MCulloch J. Mom-to-Mom Breastfeeding Counselling Programme (M2M BPC): A Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Quality Improvement Initiative. BestStart Resource Centre, Province of Ontario Ministry of Child and Youth Services.
• Stevens B, McKeever P, Gibbins S, Watson J. Cost Effectiveness of Home Versus Hospital Management of Feeding Difficulties in Preterm Infants. Health Canada.
• Watson J. The Effect of Conservative Versus Usual Intrapartum Fluid Management for Women with Epidural Analgesia on Newborn Weight Loss in Breastfed Infants. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre Practice Based Research Grant ($15,000); Registered Nurses Association Research Nurses Interest Group ($2,000); Canadian Nurses Foundation.
• Taddio A, Watson J. Incidence of Positive Bacterial and Fungal Cultures in Breastfeeding Women and Nipple Pain. Pfizer, Canada.
• Halpern S, Wilson, D, Levine, T, & Watson, J. Do Epidurals Affect Breastfeeding? Birth, June 1999.
• Watson, J. & Ito, S, Breastfeeding Anaphylaxis, Journal of Human Lactation, September 1998.

• Watson J, Hodnett E, Armson A, Davies B, Watt Watson J. The Effect of Conservative Versus Usual Intrapartum Fluid Management for Women with Epidural Analgesia on Newborn Weight Loss in Breastfed Infants, International Symposium for Nursing Interventions, Montreal, April 2011.
• Watson J, Hermann S. Protecting breastfeeding by using age appropriate volumes to supplement with artificial baby milk during postpartum hospitalization, International Lactation Consultants’ Conference, Vienna, October, 2008.
• Watson J, Brown D. Breast pumping practices of mothers of preterm infants in the immediate postpartum period. International Lactation Consultants’ Conference, Vienna, October, 2008.
• Watson J, Asztalos E, Hermann S. Can Mastitis be Predicted from the Characteristics of Blocked Ducts? International Lactation Consultants Association, Sydney, Australia, 2003.
• Watson J, Brown D. Women’s Perceptions Regarding their VBAC Decisions. Sigma Theta Tau International Nursing Research Conference, Virgin Islands, July, 2003
• Stevens B, McKeever P, Watson J, et al., The Impact of Home Versus Hospital Support on Breastfeeding During the First Week of Life. International Lactation Consultants’ Association Conference, Acapulco, 2001.

Jo teaches in the graduate Nurse Practitioner (NP) program at the Lawrence S. Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing at the University of Toronto where she holds an appointment as Adjunct Professor.