Desert Regional Medical Center is a designated Baby-Friendly Hospital, demonstrating and upholding the highest standards for infant feeding care.
About Baby-Friendly USA Hospital
This accreditation issued by Baby-Friendly USA is given to hospitals with consistent use of evidence-based practices for breastfeeding initiation and duration.
Desert Regional upholds the World Health Organization/UNICEF Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, as described in the Baby-Friendly USA Guidelines and Evaluation Criteria.
Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:
- A. Comply fully with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes and relevant World Health Assembly resolutions.
B. Have a written infant feeding policy that is routinely communicated to staff and parents.
C. Establish ongoing monitoring and data-management systems.
- Ensure that staff have sufficient knowledge, competence and skills to support breastfeeding.
- Discuss the importance and management of breastfeeding with pregnant women and their families.
- Facilitate immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact and support mothers to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.
- Support mothers to initiate and maintain breastfeeding and manage common difficulties.
- Do not provide breastfed newborns any food or fluids other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
- Enable mothers and their infants to remain together and to practice rooming-in 24 hours a day.
- Support mothers to recognize and respond to their infants’ cues for feeding.
- Counsel mothers on the use and risks of feeding bottles, teats and pacifiers.
- Coordinate discharge so that parents and their infants have timely access to ongoing support and care.
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding form the basis of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative, a worldwide breastfeeding quality improvement project created by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF). Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers also uphold the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes by offering parents support, education, and educational materials that promote the use of human milk rather than other infant food or drinks, and by refusing to accept or distribute free or subsidized supplies of breast milk substitutes, nipples, and other feeding devices.
What does it mean for you and your baby to deliver at Baby-Friendly hospital?
You will be seen by one of our International Board-Certified Lactation Nurses during your stay. As a Certified Baby-Friendly hospital, we are committed to educating new mothers on the importance of breastfeeding and taking all necessary steps to ensure successful breastfeeding has occurred prior to discharge from the hospital.
Your lactation nurse will:
- Observe feedings
- Assist with latch and position
- Educate on milk production, baby behavior, pumping and adjusting to newborn life
- Suggestions on how to handle any physical discomforts while breastfeeding
- Educate on making milk for babies who are in the NICU
- Help with feeding multiples
- Answer any questions or concerns you may have
Why Deliver at a Baby-Friendly Designated Facility?
Our hospital is prepared to help you and your new baby get off to the best start. Staff are trained regarding the care of breastfeeding mothers and babies. Babies stay close to their mothers right after birth so that they can breastfeed as soon as they are ready. Policies allow healthy babies and their mothers to stay together day and night (rooming in) so they have the best chance to get to know each other.
