Breastfeeding 1-2-3

Preparing for Birth and Breastfeeding

by Angela White, J.D., breastfeeding counselor on July 7th, 2008

In these last few weeks of pregnancy I am busy thinking through the details of the impending birth (those for which I can plan, anyway!) As I have mentioned, I am planning on a home birth with a midwife. Should the midwife already be attending another birth, I will go to the birth center. Should I need emergency transport, I will go to the hospital within 10 minutes of my home. One detail I am still working out is where I would go in the case of non-emergency transport, in the unlikely event that I change my mind about having a non-medicated birth.

First up in my investigation of hospitals: seeing if there are any Baby-Friendly Hospitals near me. Unfortunately, while 17 of the 64 U.S. hospitals and birth centers designated as Baby-Friendly are in California, none are close enough to me to be practical.

Next I check the breastfeeding rates of local hospitals. Luckily the California WIC Association issued a California Hospital Breastfeeding Report for 2007. The report notes:

More than 86 percent of California mothers breast-feed or provide breast milk for their infants during the hospital stay. Unfortunately, only half of these babies—43 percent of all California infants—are breastfed exclusively; that is, breast milk is their only food.

Clearly it is important to choose a hospital that has both a high breastfeeding initiation (”any” breast milk) rate and a high exclusive breastfeeding rate. Oh my goodness, I just compared the two hospitals closest to me. Which would you choose, the one that has an 88.3 percent initiation rate and a pitiful 8.9 percent exclusive rate, or the 86 percent initiation rate and 49.5 percent exclusive breastfeeding rate? Or maybe it’s worth driving another 10-15 minutes for the hospital with a 90.3 initiation rate and 62 percent exclusive rate? I’m thinking that last choice is the best. It also happens to have a high level NICU and a tunnel to an excellent children’s hospital, should that be necessary.

At any rate (ha ha), please keep your fingers crossed for me for a safe and smooth home birth, with a 100% breastfeeding initiation rate and a 100% exclusive breastfeeding rate!

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