Empowering New Parents on Their Breastfeeding Journey.

Pictured Above: Supporting new families with infant education.

Expectant mom Laura Somerville felt personally dedicated to breastfeeding and sought a hospital that would understand and provide education that aligned with her breastfeeding goals.

“I didn’t want a hospital that pushed formula on me or made me feel like I’m not cut out for breastfeeding,” says the 35-year-old first-time mother. She sought an ally who supported her every step of the way on her breastfeeding journey and empowered her with the education she needed to meet her goals.

During a visit to MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center a few months before delivery, Laura and her husband found the assurance they were seeking.

“During the hospital tour, we were introduced to all of the amazing support services available to us through the hospital, like breastfeeding classes and a lactation consultant,” she says. “That’s when we learned about Baby-Friendly USA.”

“Taking the steps to earn the Baby-Friendly designation shows patients, staff, and the community that we are doing everything we can to increase the initiation, duration, and exclusivity of breastfeeding in our community,” says Charlene “Sparkle” Lopez, coordinator of Lactation Services, MedStar Health. “Our goal is to be instrumental in supporting the health of the women and children in our community.”

Lopez stresses that being a Baby-Friendly hospital doesn’t mean all mothers who deliver at the hospital are forced into breastfeeding—nor are they made to feel guilty if they don’t.

“That’s a common misconception,” she says. “It’s all about bonding with your baby and learning safe feeding practices. Moms who decide not to breastfeed are educated on safe formula preparation to help decrease any health risks for the baby.”

MedStar Southern Maryland achieved the international Baby-Friendly hospital designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, an organization known for setting the highest standards for breastfeeding mothers and their babies. There are 20,000 Baby-Friendly hospitals and birth centers throughout the world, but only 604 hospitals in America have achieved the designation.

Following Baby-Friendly requirements, our Women’s and Newborn Center staff at MedStar Southern Maryland were trained to support breastfeeding, including placing babies skin-to-skin with parents, helping moms latch their babies onto the breast, knowing how to set up a breast pump to establish and maintain milk supply, and encouraging parents to keep their babies in-room throughout their stay. Nurses were required to complete an additional 15 hours of classroom instruction for this designation.

After discharge from the hospital, parents receive community breastfeeding resources, can attend breastfeeding classes and are encouraged to contact the lactation team whenever they have questions or they simply need a pep talk.

“First-time breast feeders, tend to be a little anxious,” Lopez says. “We spend a lot of time reassuring them that they are doing everything right and are not alone. We are only a phone call away.”

Having convenient access to this level of support has made the breastfeeding journey much smoother for Laura Somerville and her daughter, who is now four years old.

“As first-time parents, my husband and I were overwhelmed,” says the elementary school teacher. “But knowing that everyone at the hospital had our family’s best interests in mind gave us such wonderful peace of mind. They respected that we were committed to breastfeeding and did everything they could to help us.”