Woodland Healthcare designated Baby-Friendly

Woodland Healthcare Receives Baby Friendly Designation from the World Health Organization
Hospital is one of 97 hospitals in the U.S. to become Baby Friendly

What does “Baby Friendly” Mean?
The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in the early 1990s in an effort to increase breastfeeding rates and in turn, reduce childhood illness and death. To be acknowledged as Baby Friendly, a hospital must provide the best possible care for breastfeeding mothers and their infants by following WHO’s “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.” These steps ensure that all mothers receive breastfeeding education and support from well-trained staff. The BFHI has proven to be very successful, with more than 19,000 baby-friendly hospitals and birthing centers worldwide.

As of September 2010, 97 hospitals in the United States had been designated Baby-Friendly, including Woodland Healthcare. Research has shown that Baby-Friendly practices succeed in promoting, protecting and supporting breastfeeding. Mothers delivering at baby-friendly hospitals tend to breastfeed longer than mothers delivering at other hospitals.

Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative

10 Steps to Breastfeeding
The care given at our Family Birth Center is the healthiest possible for you, your family and your new baby. Our practices are designed to help you achieve the best birth for the healthiest baby and the most satisfying breastfeeding experience.

All of our infants are skin-to-skin for the first four hours (or longer) after birth. The skin-to-skin experience helps the baby to feel safe, maintain a healthy blood sugar and remain warm. The bath and other non-essential medical procedures will be delayed for the four hours of skin-to-skin care, and until the baby has breastfed well. Woodland Healthcare follows the Ten Steps of the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative:

1. Our breastfeeding policy is made known to our staff.
2. Our staff has the skills and resources necessary to carry out this policy.
3. Our patients are taught the benefits of breastfeeding as well as how to breastfeed in our prenatal clinic, during their hospital stay, in our postpartum clinic, and in support groups.
4. We help mother and baby breastfeed within the first hour after birth.
5. We show mother how to maintain lactation when away from her baby.
6. Breastfeeding babies are not given formula or water unless medically indicated.
7. Mother and baby stay together in the same room; skin-to-skin couplet care is encouraged throughout the hospital stay.
8. Mother is encouraged to breastfeed when baby shows hunger cues. We teach mother to recognize hunger cues. Breastfeeding is important for physical contact and nourishment.
9. Breastfeeding babies are not given pacifiers or bottles.
10. Ongoing breastfeeding support is available from our resource list, in our Pre-Natal and Post-Partum Lactation Clinic, in our weekly Post-Partum Support Groups, and by calling our Lactation Services at 530.669.5420

Woodland Healthcare does not accept free formula or free breast milk substitutes. Parent discharge bags will not contain infant formula, coupons for formula, logos of formula companies, or literature with formula company logos.