world breastfeeding week 2010

All experts (WHO, UNICEF, AAP, AAFP, ACNM, MANA, AAPH, Surgeon General, the first lady etc) agree that the "breast is best" for both baby and mother. so this week is world breastfeeding week (i must admit, the website isn't the best); a week dedicated to breastfeeding education, protection and promotion. as most, if not all, of you know that breastfeeding is near and dear to my heart. so as a way to help promote breastfeeding i decided to post UNICEF's Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. if you are a mother, pregnant, nursing, know someone who's pregnant/nursing, are a partner of a pregnant/nursing mother or friend make sure to pass these along. ask your regional hospitals to pursue the baby friendly hospital initiative (currently in madison, only meriter has this designation. ask st mary's to jump on it already!) so without further ado....

Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:

1. Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2. Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3. Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4. Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within half an hour of birth.
5. Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
6. Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
7. Practise rooming-in - that is, allow mothers and infants to remain together - 24 hours a day.
8. Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
9. Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
10. Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.