The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative is a quality improvement project based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. It is an international program promoted by WHO, UNICEF, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Health and major medical associations such as the Academy of Pediatrics. Its main focus is to help mothers learn about optimal infant feeding and mother/baby bonding. It is an exciting opportunity for our Maternal/Infant Unit that enables us to examine and update care practices so we continue to provide an outstanding patient experience. We are now in the final phase of this three-year process.
Meet Chester County Hospital's Lactation Counselors
(Standing L-R: Trish Ward, MSN, RN; Beth Ann Pyle, BSN RNC-MNN;
Dee Dickey, BSN, RNC-MNN; Michele Quigley, BSN, IBCLC; Anne Fuller, BSN.
Seated L-R: Andrea Hubert, BSN; Katie Costantini, MSN, RNC-MNN;
Robin Frees, BA, IBCLC; Amy Latyak, BSN, CCE.)
Mothers now have access to information about the benefits of breastfeeding on our hospital website, as well as prenatal information from their obstetrician’s offices. Our goal is for all mothers to have the information to make an informed choice about infant feeding. Currently, about 80% of the mothers who give birth at Chester County Hospital want to breastfeed.
Immediately after the baby is born is the Welcome Hour. The baby is placed skin to skin on the mother’s chest. This helps the baby adjust to life outside the womb by regulating baby’s breathing, temperature and heart rate. Moms love it and it’s a great time to bond with your new baby. Often breastfeeding babies will find the breast and latch on all by themselves or with very little help from mom or one of our skilled Labor and Delivery nurses.
In addition to the Welcome Hour, we promote rooming in. By keeping mothers and babies together, parents can learn more about their baby. Research tells us that babies lose less weight, are better feeders, experience less stress and have a reduced risk of SIDS when they are in the same room as their parents. Our nurses are training to perform procedures and bathe the baby in the room to avoid unnecessary separations.
The main focus of the program is infant feeding. Our nurses have completed 20 hours of training and our doctors have completed at least three hours of training to provide parents with the most up-to-date breastfeeding information and support. All breastfeeding mothers are seen by a lactation consultant during their stay and can also receive assistance from their nurse. The hospital's breastfeeding warm line (610.738.2582) allows mothers to call for help until they wean. Our nurses are also trained to teach our formula feeding mothers how to safely prepare formula and pace bottle feed.
We expect to earn this prestigious designation as a Baby Friendly Hospital by the end of 2017.