Baby Friendly

L+M Designated as a “Baby-Friendly” Hospital

As a Baby Friendly hospital, L+M follows the policies established by the World Health Organization and UNICEF to promote and support breastfeeding. These include ten key steps, as specified by Baby-Friendly USA:

1. The development of a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to staff.
2. Staff trained in the skills necessary to implement the policy.
3. Informing all pregnant women about the benefits of breastfeeding.
4. Helping mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
5. Showing mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation.
6. Giving infants no food or drink other than breast milk.
7. Allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8. Encouraging breastfeeding on demand.
9. Giving no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10. Fostering the establishment of breastfeeding support and referral groups for mothers.

As a Baby-Friendly hospital, L+M helps with:

• Skin-to-skin with your baby
  • We will place your baby on your chest right after your baby’s birth, so that the baby’s skin will be touching its birth parent. 
  • Skin-to-skin is a good way to start feedings:
    • Helps make breastfeeding easier
    • Helps babies stay healthier
• Breastfeeding
  • Babies who only breastfeed get sick less often.
  • Breastfeeding keeps both babies and mothers healthier.
  • Our staff will help you with breastfeeding.
  • All staff have been trained to help you with breastfeeding.
  • We are available to help you even after you go home.
• Rooming-in
  • Rooming-in means your baby will stay in your room most of the time.
    • When possible, baby care will be done in your room.
    • Circumcision and some blood tests may be done outside of your room.
    • “Rooming-in” helps parents to learn how to take care of their babies.
    • A support person can stay with you to help with your baby.
• Waiting to use pacifiers
  • If pacifiers are used too early, it can make breastfeeding difficult and cause a painful latch.

Postpartum patients can still choose formula to feed their babies at L+M, however, they are all are provided current information on the lifelong health benefits of breastfeeding.

Why is Breastfeeding important?

One benefit of breastfeeding is the composition of breast milk which provides nutrients specifically adapted to the changing needs of the infant. Breast milk also helps provide immunities to protect against allergies, respiratory infections, asthma, obesity, diarrhea, ear infections and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.