Baby Friendly Hospitals

I read a wonderful blog post from the Feminist Breeder.  She was discussing the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) and the benefits to mothers and babies.  Her post Why I'm a Feminist AND a Lactivist really discusses formula marketing strategies and the effects on breastfeeding.

The BFHI sounds great to me!  Hospitals receive education, collaboration, encouragement, and recognition and moms receive the breastfeeding support they need to be successful. 

History of BFHI:  In 1992, the Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition received a grant from the US Department of Health.  The U.S. Committee for UNICEF supported these efforts financially and with “in kind” services. In January of 1997, the U. S. Committee for UNICEF asked the Healthy Children Project, Inc. to accept responsibility for the initiative and form Baby-Friendly USA as the non-profit organization which now implements the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative in the United States.

When I started researching BFHI, I was surprised by the lack on response to this initiative.  This was started 19 years ago, but there are few hospitals throughout the U.S.  In MO, the only hospital that meets BFHI criteria is Hannibal Regional Hospital.  IL has two hospitals that meet BFHI criteria, St. John's and Pekin Hospital.  I'm sure other hospitals meet some specifications, such as rooming in or offering breastfeeding support.  Unfortunately, there are not many hospitals that meet all 10 criteria.

I completely support a woman's right to breastfeed, but I absolutely do NOT support the drug company’s “right” to be in the delivery room.  They prompt nurses and doctors to hand out products that are only designed to stand between the mother and her breastmilk.  Many women do not realize that it can take 3 or 4 days after delivery for her milk to come in.  Colostrum, the yellow fluid that your breasts start producing during pregnancy, is the perfect first food for your baby and will meet all his nutritional needs for the first couple of days until your milk comes in. This does not mean you have to start supplementing with formula right away.  It is perfectly normal.

To become a BFH, a facility has to meet the following 10 steps:

The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding

The BFHI promotes, protects, and supports breastfeeding through The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding for Hospitals, as outlined by UNICEF/WHO. The steps for the United States are:
1 - Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.

2 - Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.

3 - Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

4 - Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

5 - Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.

6 - Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.

7 - Practice “rooming in”-- allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

8 - Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

9 - Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.

10 - Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic


Remember, as a childbearing woman, you have rights.  You can choose to implement these 10 steps on your own.  Discuss your preferences with your doctor and the hospital staff. 

To read an article praising Hannibal Regional Hospital, click http://www.connecttristates.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=342886

Newborn and Sleep

When a baby is first born, they have a short period of wakefullness, followed by some recovery sleep.  This is one of the many things I did not know when my first son was born.  It is important to use this wakeful time wisely.  Cuddle skin to skin with your newborn, breastfeed, and start your bonding experience. 

Breastfeeding soon after birth is important if you plan on breastfeeding your baby.  When my son was born, I allowed the medical staff to do their newborn assessments with Logan in a bed next to me.  They also took him away for his first bath.  By the time he got back, he was asleep and it was hours before he woke again.  I missed my first opportunity to breastfeed.  I thought it would be fine, but a whole cascade of problems led me to supplement with formula.  Would breastfeeding right away have changed my outcome?  I will never know about the past, but I am better prepared for the future.

So, how long is a newborn's wakeful time?  How long can a newborn be expected to sleep?  Unfortunately, there is no set answer to this.  Just like every baby will have its own personality, every baby will have his or her own sleep cycle.  Some babies sleep more especially if there was an epidural or other medications involved.

 

For my doula clients, I encourage skin to skin and breastfeeding immediately after birth.  If baby is too sleepy, they should try to nurse as much as possible for the first 24 hrs. If baby is sleeping, clients should take advantage of the time and sleep herself. I would try to wake up baby after about 4 hours and encourage nursing.  I don't ascribe a number to it. I say, "once you get to your postpartum room at some point baby will conk out. When baby does, it's time for YOU (and partner) to get some sleep too."  Sleep will come in bits and spurts those first few weeks.  So it can be a hard adjustment for all.