Twin Cities earns ‘Baby-Friendly’ status
Uses methods to help moms succeed at breastfeeding
– Baby-Friendly USA has designated Twin Cities Community Hospital as an internationally recognized Baby-Friendly birth facility. This designation means the hospital is using some of the most effective methods known to help moms succeed at breastfeeding. Twin Cities is one of 268 hospitals and birth centers in the United States to earn this status.
Baby-Friendly USA is the national accrediting agency for the implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
As a Baby-Friendly hospital, Twin Cities follows the, “Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding,” as outlined by the initiative, and provides lactation consultants to offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.
Other important practices include encouraging skin-to-skin contact between mother and newborns and rooming-in, where the baby’s crib is kept by the side of the mother’s bed. Both practices encourage bonding and improve the newborn’s ability to breastfeed. Studies also show that immediate skin-to-skin contact help newborns’ maintain their temperatures better, normalize heart and breathing rates and reduce their likeliness of crying.
“We have spent several years working very hard to change practices at Twin Cities and implement each one of the Ten Steps in our organization,” said Carol Howland, chief nursing officer. “This included training both our staff and physicians to ensure high quality of care for new families in our birth center.”
The designation is given after a rigorous on-site survey is completed.
