St. Francis is a Designated “Baby Friendly” Hospital
The Baby Friendly Hospital initiative supports healthy breastfeeding practices throughout the world. St. Francis was awarded the "Baby Friendly Hospital" designation after undergoing an extensive accreditation process. Mothers who give birth at Baby Friendly hospitals like St. Francis are more likely to start and keep breastfeeding their babies exclusively for up to a year.
The ten steps below were developed by UNICEF and the World Health Organization to ensure that hospitals provide education and counseling on breastfeeding. These steps are adhered to by the staff at St. Francis to maintain our Baby Friendly designation.
- Maintain a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
- Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
- Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
- Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
- Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
- Give infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
- Practice “rooming in” – allows mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
- Encourage unrestricted breastfeeding.
- Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
- Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
The Baby Friendly Hospital designation is endorsed by; The Joint Commission’s Speak Up Campaign, Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine, American Academy of Pediatrics, Association of Women's Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses, Baby-Friendly USA, Inc., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, March of Dimes and United States Breastfeeding Committee.
For more information
- Learn more about breastfeeding in our Health Library.
- Call one of our board certified Lactation Consultants at 414-647-5383.