A report issued recently by the University of California at Davis Human Lactation Center (UCD HLC) and sponsored by the California WIC Association (CWA) compares nearly every hospital in the state in terms of the rate of new moms that exclusively breastfeed while in the hospital. Marshall Hospital in Placerville was ranked number eight in the state in terms of in-hospital breastfeeding rates and the only Sacramento area hospital in the top 15. “We are extremely proud of our ranking,” explained Marshall Perinatal Services Manager Deena Purdy, RNC. “We support new moms in their decision to provide their babies with the best possible food to promote health – mother’s milk.” 

By releasing Reducing Obesity from the Start: California Hospitals Must Increase Exclusive Breastfeeding Rates, CWA and affiliated local agencies want to encourage hospitals to follow recommendations from AAP and guidelines developed by organizations such as California’s Department of Health Services (DHS) and the World Health Organization. 

These recommendations describe what hospitals should be doing to promote exclusive breastfeeding. The report and rankings are available at www.calwic.org under publications. The findings are particularly compelling because in California, more than 83 percent of new moms enter the hospital wishing to breastfeed, yet only 40.5 percent of those women leave the hospital doing so exclusively – the rest of the women use supplemental formula or other fluids provided by the hospital. 

“Marshall’s policies and practices that support breastfeeding include education for all RN staff about appropriate breastfeeding management, no routine formula supplementation, no routine separation of mom and baby, and excellent inpatient breastfeeding education and support,” said Certified Lactation Consultant Carla Turoff, RN. “It is the collaborative effort of the lactation, nursing and medical staff that makes these policies so successful here at Marshall. We’ve had certified lactation consultants on staff since 1994. They are available to help moms on the OB unit and there is a phone line available for any mom who has questions or concerns. Marshall also operates a pump rental station and a small breastfeeding shop that sells basic supplies. Also, our Health Promotions department offers an excellent prenatal breastfeeding class. Our lactation consultants have created close working relationships with the local WIC agency and many local primary care providers to support the breastfeeding families in our community.”

For more information on Marshall’s Breastfeeding Support Services, call (530) 626-2835 or go to www.marshallmedical.org.