Hospital’s Stork’s Landing supports breastfeeding

Delta County Memorial Hospital has been recognized by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment for implementing best practices to support breastfeeding. The Colorado Can DO 5 BEST (Breastfeeding Excellence Starts Today) Award was received at the first Colorado Breastfeeding Summit, held Sept. 18 in Denver. This award acknowledges facilities successful in implementing five proven practices supportive of breastfeeding.

One of the goals at Delta County Memorial Hospital's Stork's Landing is to encourage evidenced-based policy and practice change to increase breastfeeding initiation and duration rates. This is accomplished by emphasizing staff and physician education specific to breastfeeding. This will enable DCMH to be current with best practices and consistent with our patient education. As Stork's Landing continues to review current data research relating to best practices in breastfeeding, staff members are able to refine and improve our support, making our mothers as successful as possible in their breastfeeding goals.

There are many breastfeeding benefits for both mothers and babies. Making hospital changes in maternity care practices has been shown to significantly increase breastfeeding rates. The Stork's Landing obstetrics staff helps moms give their babies a healthy start by implementing the following five best practices:

• The infant is breastfed in the first hour after birth.

• The infant is fed only breast milk in the hospital.

• The infant stays in the same room with the mother in the hospital.

• The infant does not use a pacifier in the hospital.

• Hospital staff gives each mother a telephone number to call for help with breastfeeding after being discharged from the hospital.

According to the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, supporting mothers in their breastfeeding efforts is an effective and inexpensive early intervention to the prevention of obesity, one of the state's winnable battles. By 2016, the state department's goal is to increase the percentage of mothers who report some breastfeeding of their infants at 6 months of age from 61 percent to 65 percent.

Stork's Landing encourages expectant mothers and families to explore the advantages of breastfeeding. If you have questions please call the obstetrics department (Stork's Landing) at Delta County Memorial Hospital for more information at 874-2255.

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