MORGANTOWN, W.V.a — For soon to be parents, finding the best hospital to deliver their child in is crucial.
To give future parents the best birthing experience possible, Mon Health Medical Center was approved as the first West Virginia’s first Baby-Friendly designated birth facility.
This encourages and recognizes hospitals and birth centers that offer the best care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.
Jill Buterbaugh, a registered nurse, said giving parents education about breastfeeding before the mother gives birth is crucial.
“This project, whereas the nurses always promoted breastfeeding before, it even heightened the awareness of how important breastfeeding is for not only the infant’s health, but later on in their life,” said Buterbaugh.
When pregnant women come in for their first few prenatal visits, the nurses start educating them then. Buterbaugh said studies show that breastfed babies are less likely to have ear infections or develop chronic health problems such as asthma, obesity and diabetes.
But breastfeeding isn’t just beneficial to babies. For mothers, breastfeeding is associated with a lower risk of breast and ovarian cancer and type 2 diabetes.
All nurses in Mon Health have an extra 20 hours of education on breastfeeding.
Buterbaugh thinks giving the parents the most comfortable stay is what pushed Mon Health to be approved.
“It’s very much like a home atmosphere,” said Buterbaugh. “We have the sofa for the dad, the cherry cabinets for their belongings, it looks very much like a room at home. But when the mom gets ready to deliver, all of the equipment comes out from hiding and makes that possible.”
Mon Health offers a breastfeeding class for parents focus on the practical approach to beginning breastfeeding. A major focus is learning what a good latch on looks like, how to tell if your baby is getting enough milk and pumping milk/returning to work.
There are more than 20,000 designated Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers worldwide and 429 of those in the United States. With the addition of Mon Health Medical Center, there is now a Baby-Friendly hospital in all 50 states.
“Our goal is to educate 100 percent of our patients,” said Buterbaugh. “To have successful exclusive breastfeeding for every mother that chooses to do it. That’s the important thing. A lot of mothers don’t choose to do it, and we will support them as well with bottle feeding education.