Colorado Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence

Evidence-based lactation policies and practices for birthing facilities

The Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative awards hospitals for having a written policy demonstrating implementation of at least six of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s (BFHI) evidence-based Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding.

In Colorado, over 90% of parents choose to start breastfeeding. Research shows that by implementing at least six of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, the birthing facility will better support the vast majority of Colorado parents to not only start breastfeeding, but also enable them to breastfeed longer, resulting in more long-term health benefits to both parent and child.

Awards were provided at the Colorado Hospital Breastfeeding Summit in 2020 and again at the Colorado Hospital Recognition Event in 2023.

Award eligibility & assistance

To be eligible for the award, a facility must provide labor and delivery care and have written policy/policies that demonstrate your facility is practicing at least six of the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding

The facility must verify in the written policy/policies at least six of the following (for healthy full-term births):

• Have a written infant feeding policy that includes lactation/breastfeeding support that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
• Train all health care staff in the skills and knowledge necessary to support patients choosing to breastfeed.
• Staff informs all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
• Staff facilitates immediate and uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact between patients and their infants and supports parents to initiate breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth.
• Staff show patients how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they are separated from their infants.
• The infant is fed only human milk in the hospital. Staff does not provide breastfed newborns any food or fluids other than human milk, unless medically indicated.
• Facility practices rooming-in – allow parents and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.
• Staff encourages breastfeeding on demand and supports parents to recognize and respond to their infants’ early feeding cues.
• Counsel hospital staff on the use and risks of feeding with bottles, artificial nipples, teats, and pacifiers.
• Coordinate discharge so that families have timely access to ongoing lactation support and care by providing each family a telephone number and/or support group resources for help after discharge.
• Facility prohibits the distribution of hospital gift packs with infant formula samples, coupons or promotional materials to families.

Assistance

If you would like for your facility’s policies to be reviewed for eligibility or you feel your facility does not have adequate policies, you may submit all maternity care policies for review and the Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative (CBFHC) can help you adapt and create policies to make your facility eligible for a future award. For questions or support, email CBFHC.

Additional awards & programs

Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative & the Baby-Friendly designation

• If you are not already a member, your facility is eligible to join the Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative, which can provide you with technical and financial assistance for your hospital to achieve the prestigious Baby-Friendly designation. Any facility can join, regardless if the hospital is pursuing a Baby-Friendly designation or not. Members receive free technical assistance, resources, and support.

Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact

• Consider joining the Colorado Healthy Hospital Compact, a statewide collaboration of hospitals that share a mission to protect and promote the health of hospital patients and their families, visitors, and staff by implementing measures designed to improve the quality of their nutrition environments through the promotion of breastfeeding and healthier food and beverage options.

Awardees