San Juan Regional Medical Center has received prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility by Baby-Friendly USA, Inc. The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative is an evidence based program designed to support mother/baby bonding and optimal infant feeding practices. The three main tenants of Baby-Friendly USA’s philosophy and approach are:
- Human milk fed through direct breastfeeding is the optimal way for human infants to be nurtured and nourished.
- The precious first days in the birth facility should be protected as a time of bonding and support, not influenced by commercial interests.
- Every mother should be informed about the importance of breastfeeding and respected to make her own decision.
“San Juan Regional Medical Center is proud to be Baby-Friendly,” said Suzanne Smith, Chief Nursing Officer. “By providing early support and information to parents and creating an environment that enhances parent-child attachment, we hope to improve new mothers’ breastfeeding rates and help mothers and babies get off to a great start.”
There are many advantages of choosing to deliver a baby in a Baby-Friendly facility. San Juan Regional Medical Center offers an optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. This includes implementing and upholding the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding to establish a healthy breastfeeding relationship. Skin-to-skin contact immediately after birth and babies rooming-in with their mothers are two important components. These best practices have many benefits for both mother and baby, including:
- Better quality sleep
- Less crying and distress
- Improved breastfeeding experience
“When you choose San Juan Regional Medical Center, our Baby-Friendly staff will carefully assess your baby’s feeding so that any early problems can be taken care of quickly. Our staff is ready and willing to assist with breastfeeding so you feel more confident,” said Cindy Baez, Clinical Director of Nursing.
The support continues after mothers leave San Juan Regional Medical Center, with comprehensive breastfeeding support services open to all new mothers in the community. Those services include individual appointments with experienced lactation consultants along with classes, which can be found at sanjuanregional.com or by calling 505.609.6484.
San Juan Regional Medical Center also offers convenient digital communications exclusively for parents, including a blog called Oh Baby. It focuses on important care topics to benefit moms, babies and growing families. Sign up to follow the blog and receive notifications of new posts by email at sanjuanregional.com/blog. We also offer a monthly Facebook Live chat called Baby Bistro. Join our lactation consultants on the fourth Thursday of every month at 12:00 p.m. to have your questions answered. That’s at facebook.com/sanjuanregionalmedicalcenter.