The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative: A Guide For Best Practice

Questions to ask yourself or your staff

Hospital Staff

• Was breastfeeding and lactation management a comprehensive part of your professional education?
• Do you sometimes feel inadequate with patients' breastfeeding questions?
• Do you always hope the Lactation Consultant is around when you are caring for a breastfeeding mother?

Hospital Administrators & Managers

• Does your hospital reflect a picture of optimal health promotion?
• Do pediatric and obstetrical units reflect a picture of optimal health promotion, with breastfeeding illustrated as the norm for infant feeding?
• What information and care are provided to mothers who choose to formula feed?
• Have you had recognition of your maternity programs?

This program is for you if you are a:

Course Description

Goal: To help hospitals and communities provide accurate, evidence-based information in breastfeeding to their staff and patients. To assist hospitals in pursuing the designation of "Baby Friendly".

This two or three day workshop provides the basics of early breastfeeding management with a focus on implementing The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

Course Objectives, Agenda, & Content

Objectives:

1. Describe how the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and the AAP Breastfeeding Guidelines fit into a family-centered practice.
2. Outline a comprehensive Baby Friendly pre-assessment evaluation.
3. Discuss the interview process of hospital administrators, staff and patients during a formal assessment.
4. Explain the importance of developing a breastfeeding policy for a maternity unit.
5. Plan ways to provide effective breastfeeding promotion in the clinic, hospital and community.
6. Evaluate the influence of hospital routines on baby's behavior and breastfeeding success
7. Assess the effectiveness of a newborn's positioning at the breast
8. Describe a process for evaluating the need for supplementary feeds for newborns
9. Discuss the rationale behind the BFHI formula purchase criterion.
10. Discuss the rationale behind the importance of keeping babies and their mothers together.
11. Document the research that demonstrates that artificial nipple, pacifiers can cause difficulties for breastfeeding babies.
12. Assess community resources and education for breastfeeding families when they leave the hospital.
13. Document and evaluate each step in one's individual workplace.

Topics Included in this Program:

These topics can be organized to meet the needs of individual institutions or expanded from a two day program to a three day program to meet the staff education requirements for the Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative.

• Historical review of obstetrical care
• History of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
• Pre-assessment activities
• Hospital preparation requested by assessors
• Writing policy and training staff
• Importance of prenatal breastfeeding assessment
• Helping parents make feeding decisions
• Getting breastfeeding started with evidence-based care
• Rationale behind decisions to supplement or not supplement breastfeeding babies
• Historical relationship of hospitals and commercial industries
• The importance of purchasing all unit supplies
• Breastfeeding expectations in the early hours, days, weeks
• Early breastfeeding challenges and problems
• Role of professional in empowering families in the care of their infant
• Providing early follow-up care for breastfeeding infants and their mothers
• Caring for new mothers through community breastfeeding support

Education Credits

Education Credits will depend on length of program chosen.