Providers - Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition

Baby-Friendly Hospitals

Colorado now has 9 Baby-Friendly designated facilities! Click here to find one near you.

What does Baby-Friendly mean to my family? Click here for more information.

Baby-Friendly hospital designation means the hospital provides the best maternity care for mother and baby, while supporting breastfeeding. Giving birth in a designated facility ensures that you will be provided with correct education to make the best feeding choice for your family and then will be supported thereafter, regardless of your choice.

Research clearly shows implementing The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding helps to start breastfeeding and get baby off to the healthiest start in life. The Ten Steps are evidence-based practices proven to help mothers successfully initiate and continue to breastfeed.

Receiving essential breastfeeding support in the hospital significantly increases breastfeeding success.

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is a global program started in 1991 by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) to assist and recognize hospitals that offer an optimal level of care for mother and baby. This includes The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and the International Code of Marketing of Breast Milk Substitutes.

Research estimates if 90% of the U.S. population breastfed exclusively (no other food or drink, including formula) for the recommended 6 months, nearly 1,000 deaths could be prevented and approximately $13 billion in excess health care costs could be saved each year.

Baby-Friendly is a registered certification mark of Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. The term “Baby-Friendly” can ONLY be used by facilities that have met rigorous criteria, demonstrated through an on-site assessment, and have achieved the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation.

Click here to find a facility in Colorado that is officially designated or on the official path towards designation.

Over 400 facilities in the United States are currently designated. Click here to find a Baby-Friendly designated facility nationwide. If a facility is not listed on this site, then they are NOT officially designated.

Get on board or be left behind.

Interested in becoming a Baby-Friendly designated facility? Join the Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative (CBFHC).

Currently 20 Colorado hospitals are members of CBFHC.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) currently supports Colorado hospitals in becoming Baby-Friendly designated. CBFHC provides a state level support system of training, technical and financial assistance to support Colorado hospitals with implementation of the BFHI Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding and gain official Baby-Friendly designation. Quarterly webinars, annual networking workshops, collaboration with other Baby-Friendly hospitals and one-time incentive funds are just a few of the benefits of joining CBFHC and starting on the path.

Click here for information on CBFHC, how to start on the path, recordings for the Business Case for Becoming Baby-Friendly, a CEO information pamphlet, and recordings to past CBFHC technical assistance webinars.

Colorado Can Do 5!

Prior to CBFHC formation in 2013, CDPHE supported the Colorado Can Do 5! Initiative, supporting and awarding 41 out of 53 maternity hospitals for successfully implementing five of The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding shown to most directly help with breastfeeding success.

Click here for a complete listing of Can Do 5! B.E.S.T. Award recipient hospitals and more information on the Can Do 5! initiative.

Finding A Breastfeeding Friendly Child Care Provider

Health care providers are often the first and only resource parents contact regarding breastfeeding. Unfortunately, health care providers are often inadequately trained in breastfeeding during their professional education. For instance, breastfeeding is not a required part of medical school curriculum. This ongoing lack of education exists despite nearly 90% of Colorado moms initiating breastfeeding.

Families often sense this lack of sufficient knowledge after they have chosen their health care provider. Click here to learn tips for how to find a Breastfeeding Friendly Health Care Provider.

A great place to start is by finding a medical system, hospital or provider associated with a Baby-Friendly designated facility. Baby-Friendly designation requires breastfeeding training for all hospital nursing staff and hospital providers. This includes obstetricians (OBs), pediatricians, family practice physicians, Physician Assistants (PAs), Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and midwives that have privileges at or are affiliated with the facility.

The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Family Physicians and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (including a physician’s breastfeeding toolkit) have formal statements promoting the health advantages of breastfeeding and advising breastfeeding education during speciality training.

Health care provider? Click here for more resources.

Resources for Lactation Professionals

Become a member of COBFC today!

Stay connected with other lactation professionals, be a part of networking events, receive updates on breastfeeding in Colorado and become aware of volunteer opportunities!

Lactation Journal Club

Dr Marianne Neifert, MD, MTS, FAAP (also known as Dr Mom) founded Colorado Lactation Journal Club more than 28 years ago as an educational offering of The Lactation Program (1985-2009), one of the very first comprehensive breastfeeding centers in the U.S.

Attend Journal Club to stay up to date on the latest breastfeeding research, hear from engaging guest speakers, and connect with a valuable network of over 230 lactation and health care professionals. Continuing education credits (including CERPs and CEUs) are provided at each meeting.

Click here for complete information, meeting dates (including webinar options) and to register for the next meeting.

Resources

Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM)

American Academy of Family Physicians – Breastfeeding

American Academy of Pediatrics – Breastfeeding

American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) – Breastfeeding

Baby-Friendly USA

Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC)

Certified Lactation Educator (CLE)

Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment – Breastfeeding

Colorado Perinatal Care Quality Collaborative (CPCQC)

Colorado Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)