We’re on Our Way to Baby-Friendly!

On Wednesday, January 24, 2018 Ransom Memorial Health (RMH) held a chili cook-off to kick-off the pursuit of becoming a Baby-Friendly designated organization. RMH Champions (employees) came together for a friendly competition with awareness and education included.

“Becoming a Baby-Friendly designated care facility affects all of the hospital staff. This was a great way to get staff motivated to learn more about what becoming Baby-Friendly means to RMH.” Commented Samantha Fast, RMH Family Birth Place Manager.

Eight departments joined the fun bringing at least one pot of chili for judging. Some departments went over the top with decorations. (Photos below!) Chili and decorations were judged by – those in attendance – placing money in the jar on the coinciding table. The competition was stiff and only $0.65 separated the two winning teams! In the end, the Family Birth Place ladies won bragging rights over the Engineering men.

The event was a great success. RMH staff raised $358 for the Franklin County Breastfeeding Coalition, a collaborative group essential to RMH’s Baby-Friendly Designation, while learning more about the 10-steps to becoming a Baby-Friendly facility.

Becoming Baby-Friendly:

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.

Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding:

1) Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.

2) Train all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement this policy.

3) Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

4) Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.

5) Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation even if they are separated from their infants.

6) Give infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.

7) Practice rooming-in – allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

8) Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

9) Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.

10) Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or birth center.