Support for new moms and babies
Mercy Folsom’s Family Birth Center is committed to helping moms and babies live healthy lives. This is why breastfeeding is a top priority at Mercy. Our commitment to promoting breastfeeding has led us to have some of the highest percentages of breastfed babies in the Sacramento area. In 2008, 94% of babies born at Mercy Folsom were breastfeeding prior to discharge. Mercy Folsom has the second highest percentage of babies exclusively breastfeeding in Sacramento County.
Staff experience and knowledge
Successful breastfeeding at Mercy starts with knowledgeable staff. We have three lactation consultants, who are all registered nurses that provide new moms and babies much needed support seven days a week. Since it’s actually Mercy Folsom’s Family Birth Center nurses who provide the initial breastfeeding assistance for moms and babies, they all participate in breastfeeding classes and ongoing education. As Robin Roots, RN, International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) in Mercy Folsom’s FBC says, “The more a nurse knows, the more effective they are in teaching and assisting their patients.”
We promote breastfeeding with:
- Skin to skin contact between new moms and babies at delivery
- Single room couplet care with all supplies to support mom and baby in the same room
- Staff nurses knowledgeable in teaching and supporting early breastfeeding
Why we feel it’s important
Breastfeeding has long been recognized as one of the most important contributors to healthy babies. New and continuing research clearly points to the extremely positive health benefits gained by infant and mother as a result of breastfeeding. There are also a significant number of health risks being uncovered when women do not breastfeed. So significant are these risks in fact that the importance of breastfeeding is becoming a priority on the national health agenda. Many health and professional organizations (see list below) have all taken a strong position in favor of breastfeeding and are initiating new programs to encourage breastfeeding. They are all asking healthcare providers to play a role to help increase the breastfeeding rate.
Health and professional organizations strongly in favor of breastfeeding:
- American Academy of Pediatrics
- American Academy of Family Physicians
- American Dietetic Association
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- US Department of Health and Human Services
- Surgeon General’s Office
- World Health Organization
Health benefits for baby:
- Helps infants grow and mature
- Protects infants from a wide variety of illnesses
- 50% less of a chance to have ear infections in the first year of life
- Reduced incidence and lessened severity of bacterial infections, like meningitis and lower respiratory infections
- Role of fatty acids, unique to human milk, in promoting infant brain and visual development
Health benefits for moms:
- Women who breastfeed experience a reduced risk of certain breast, ovarian and uterine cancers
- Reduced risk of osteoporosis
Evidence based research shows that lack of breastfeeding:
- Contributes to the rising incidence of chronic disease in childhood and adolescence, such as diabetes, obesity and asthma.
- Is a risk factor for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
Due to these significant health benefits, ensuring breastfeeding success for each new mom and baby at Mercy Folsom is a priority for every member of our team.
*2008 results were gathered from Newborn Screening Test Forms that were completed by Family Birth Center staff before the moms and babies were discharged from the hospital. These forms gathered a wide variety of information about each newborn, including information about how the baby is being nourished.
