Oh Baby, We Did it! We’re the FIRST & ONLY Baby-Friendly Hospital in Nevada!

Given the large amount of evidence and research showing that breastfeeding leads to better health outcomes for mothers and babies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) started the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative as a global program to encourage and recognize hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for infant feeding. And we are honored to say that Carson Tahoe Regional Medical Center is the FIRST and ONLY Baby-Friendly Hospital in Nevada.

If you’re a mom-to-be, you may want to consider going to a facility with Baby-Friendly Hospital designation for your prenatal, delivery, and post-partum care to ensure the best possible outcomes for you and your baby. There are many important differences between Baby-Friendly hospitals and other facilities.

4 Big Differences Between Baby-Friendly Hospitals & Other Hospitals:
1. Breastfeeding babies should not be given pacifiers, teats, or other items that are similar to a mother’s breasts. This is because it often creates confusion for the infant, as well as increased difficulties in breastfeeding. Baby-Friendly hospitals will never give your breastfeeding baby a pacifier (unless it is for medical reasons and the parents have given their consent). Many other hospitals will give breastfeeding babies pacifiers or similar items for non-medical purposes and without the parents’ consent or knowledge.

2. When a baby is first born, Baby-Friendly hospitals facilitate skin-to-skin contact by immediately placing the newborn on the mother’s bare skin, even for those delivered via C-Section. In contrast, many other hospitals will take the baby away, clean them off, and perform other standard procedures before [finally] bringing the baby back to mom. Research has shown babies should immediately have skin-to-skin with the mother because:
• Baby will be warmer – your skin is a radiant warmer & helps keep your baby perfectly warm. Baby is laid directly on your skin, abdomen, or chest, dried while there, and warm blankets are placed over both of you
• Baby breathes more normally – helps baby breathe more easily & rhythmically
• Baby cries less – comforts baby, leading to less crying
• Baby gets more breast milk – more likely to nurse, and to nurse sooner and longer, which can lead to better breast milk supply
• Baby can hear your heartbeat – babies are familiar with your heartbeat & feel comforted by it
• Baby is more likely to have a normal heart rate – all these add up to a baby who is more stable

3. Studies show that feeding a baby anything other than breast milk within the first six months (including water and supplemental formula) is not good for the baby or mom. To this end, when a mother opts to breastfeed, Baby-Friendly hospitals ensure that the baby is only fed breast milk. Sadly, even when a mother has opted to breastfeed her infant, many hospitals that are not Baby-Friendly feed babies substances other than breast milk – without the parents’ knowledge or consent.

4. When you deliver your baby at a Baby-Friendly hospital, such as Carson Tahoe, as long as everything is okay with you and your baby, the two of you will remain together 24 hours a day. We call this “rooming-in.” Rooming-in is important because it helps the baby feel more secure, encourages breastfeeding on demand, promotes mommy-baby bonding, and the baby reaps the benefits of skin-to-skin contact. Baby-Friendly hospitals will even do all the routine tests and procedures right there in your room with you. Unfortunately, many hospitals that are not Baby-Friendly will separate mom from baby – mom will stay in the recovery room, and baby will stay in the hospital nursery. Research has shown that rooming-in leads to the best outcomes for babies and mommies.

For more information on the importance of breastfeeding, visit here.