What is a Baby Friendly Hospital, and Where Are They in Colorado?

From the perspective of someone going through the birthing process, a baby friendly hospital is probably very different from one that does not have the sought after designation.

Since two out of three baby friendly hospitals in Colorado exist in Northern Colorado, those who live in my neck of the woods can consider themselves pretty lucky. Poudre Valley Hospital has the designation, as does Medical Center of the Rockies in Loveland.

So what does the designation mean? Well, here is the description straight from the Baby-Friendly USA Inc website.

The work of Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. (BFUSA) and its implementation of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) in the United States is predicated on the fact that human milk fed through the mother’s own breast is the normal way for human infants to be nourished.  There is an abundance of scientific evidence that points to lower risks for certain diseases and improved health outcomes for both mothers and babies who breastfeed.  Breastfeeding is the natural biological conclusion to pregnancy and an important mechanism for the continued normal development of the infant.  With the correct information and the right supports in place, under normal circumstances, most women who choose to breastfeed are able to successfully achieve their goal.

The BFHI is a global initiative of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF).  It is implemented in the United States by BFUSA.

It's all about the breastfeeding. Second to that is the importance of the parent holding the baby skin to skin. I'm ranking these according to my experience. Officials from the organizations and hospitals may not put them in that exact order, but as someone who has given birth through a baby friendly hospital, that was what stuck with me.

We took a breast feeding class. We met with probably a dozen lactation experts. After Huck was born and was spending time in the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit), at least one per day came in for a visit.

While breastfeeding is probably one of the most natural and amazing processes on the planet, it doesn't always come easy. The milk arrives at different times. The newborn's palate isn't always developed enough to create the proper suck. All of this can be highly stressful, especially if the plan is to have their food come 100% from the mother. Any problems that come up interfere with the baby receiving food and can be very straining.

That's why it is so nice to have not just a person but a team of pro's that are there to let us know that everything we are going through is normal and that we are going to be ok.

When it isn't working, they suggest just moving on and trying again later. This turned out to be advice that we had to follow many times.

I didn't know that PVH was a baby friendly hospital when we chose it, but I am certainly glad that it was!