VABF Taskforce

Virginia Breastfeeding Taskforce

"Baby-Friendly USA envisions
an American culture
that values the enduring benefits
of breastfeeding and human milk
for mothers, babies, and society"

The Ten Steps To Successful Breastfeeding

The BFHI promotes, protects, and supports breastfeeding through The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding for Hospitals, as outlined by UNICEF/WHO. The steps for the United States are:

1	Maintain a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
2	Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
3	Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
4	Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within one hour of birth.
5	Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
6	Give infants no food or drink other than breastmilk, unless medically indicated.
7	Practice rooming in-- allow mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
8	Encourage unrestricted breastfeeding.
9	Give no pacifiers or artificial nipples to breastfeeding infants.
10	Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic

What is a Baby Friendly Hospital?

Baby Friendly Hospitals and Birth Centers ~ As of 9/28/2010 there are 100 Baby Friendly Hospitals in the United States.

Culpeper Regional Hospital was awarded designation as a Baby Friendly Hospital in December 2008- the first in Virginia. For more information please contact Cindy Curtis, RNC, IBCLC, CCE