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