Hospital and Health Care Providers
Lactation friendly health care providers
Extensive research has shown that breastfeeding improves the health of children, parents, the community, and the environment. Health care providers play a critical role in promoting, supporting and protecting breastfeeding.
Health care provider offices can implement policies and practices to become recognized as lactation-friendly.
Step One
- Become a Lactation Friendly Workplace. The application information is available through the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition.
- Lactation Friendly Workplace recognized site list. (Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition website)
Step Two
- Review the Lactation Friendly Health Care Provider Toolkit.
Step Three
- Become a Lactation Friendly Health Care Provider through the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition.
All direct health care providers should receive training on breastfeeding management.
American Academy of Pediatrics
- Physician education and training on breastfeeding. (American Academy of Pediatrics website)
CDC
- Physician education and training to support breastfeeding. (CDC website)
CDPHE-ECHO
- Provider Breastfeeding Training Series is a free online training. (CDPHE-ECHO Colorado website)
IABLE
- Breastfeeding education for healthcare providers. (IABLE LactEd website)
Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition
- Education for healthcare providers. (Kansas Breastfeeding Coalition website)
Lactation Education Resources
- CME courses for physicians. (Lactation Education Resources website)
Maryland Hospital
- Free CME courses. (Maryland Hospital Breastfeeding Resources website)
OPENPediatrics
- Bella Breastfeeding Provider Training. (OPENPediatrics website)
- Register and search “breastfeeding” or “bella”.
Stanford
- Stanford Medicine Breastfeeding Resources and Videos. (Stanford Medicine website)
Toolkits
- Colorado Lactation Friendly Health Care Office Toolkit. (PDF)
- Colorado lactation friendly workplace toolkit and recognition program. (PDF)
Colorado lactation toolkits and resources
- Billing/Coding
- Supporting Breastfeeding and Lactation: The Primary Care Pediatrician’s Guide to Coding 2022. (American Association of Pediatrics website)
- Coding and Billing. (ACOG website)
- Health First Colorado (Medicaid)
- Cover All Coloradans - Health Benefits for Children and Pregnant Persons. (Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing website)
- Durable Medical Equipment: Health First Colorado Breast Pump Coverage. (Colorado Department of Health Care Policy & Financing website)
- Breast pump provider - access list for members. (PDF)
- CDPHE Cannabis Use During Pregnancy and Lactation
- Cannabis, You and Your Baby Fact Sheet. (PDF)
- Cannabis, You and Your Baby Poster. (PDF)
- Clinical guidelines for health care providers (coming soon)
Breastfeeding resources for health care providers
Center for Breastfeeding
- Healthy Children’s Project Certified Lactation Counselor (CLC) certificate course. (Center for Breastfeeding website)
Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association
- Childbirth and Postpartum Professionals Association (CAPPA) Certified Lactation Educator (CLE) certificate course. (CAPPA website)
Community Lactation Access Project
- Community Lactation Access Project. (CLAP website)
International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners
- International Board Certified Lactation Consultant. (International Board of Lactation Consultant Examiners website)
Lactation Education Resources
- Lactation IBCLC Exam Review. (Lactation Education Resources website)
Metropolitan State University (MSU)
- Lactation Consultant Training Certificate Program. (Metropolitan State University (MSU) website)
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
- Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine clinical protocols. (Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine website)
University of North Carolina (UNC) School of Medicine: Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology
Breastfeeding
- About Breastfeeding. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website)
- Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative. (Bab-Friendly USA website)
- Breastfeeding FAQs: Talking Points on Mothers’ Frequently Asked Questions about Nursing. (PDF)
Cannabis use in pregnancy and lactation
- Clinical guidance and resources for health care providers. (CDPHE website)
- Cannabis, You and Your Baby is available in multiple languages. (CDPHE website)
Human Lactation Study Center
- The Human Lactation Study Center is part of the Division of Neonatology and is a valuable resource for our physicians. If your physician has questions/concerns regarding what medications can be taken during breastfeeding or general questions regarding difficulties with breastfeeding, have them contact our center. The center maintains a database of drugs in lactation, medical information, and programs around breastfeeding.
- University of Rochester Lactation Study Line. (University of Rochester Golisano Children's Hospital website)
- Call 585-275-0088. Please Note: Inquiries from health professionals only.
International Lactation Consultant Association course providers directory
- Search the Directory of Course Providers. (ILCA website)
Medications and lactation
- Medications and human milk. (PDF)
- National Institute of Health Drugs and Medications Database. (National Library of Medicine website)
- Thomas Hale’s Breastfeeding and Medication. (InfantRisk Center website)
Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine
- Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine (ABM) position on breastfeeding. (ABM website)
- Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. (EatRight.org website)
- American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) position on supporting breastfeeding. (AAFP website)
- American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. (American Academy of Pediatrics website)
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) - Optimizing Support for Breastfeeding as Part of Obstetric Practice. (ACOG website)
- Position statement on breastfeeding. (American College of Nurse-Midwives website)
- Position statement on use of human milk and breastfeeding in neonatal intensive care unit. (National Association of Neonatal Nurses website)
- Position statement on breastfeeding and the use of human milk. (Association of Women’s Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses website)
- Supporting Breastfeeding Worldwide through Maternity Protection. (American Public Health Association website)
Baby-Friendly USA
- Practice Guidelines. (Baby-Friendly USA website)
- The Training Program Performance Indicator Checklist is a tool to assess staff/provider breastfeeding knowledge and skills.
- The Training Program Performance Indicator Checklist. (Baby-Friendly USA PDF)
- The Training Program Performance Indicator Checklist is a tool to assess staff/provider breastfeeding knowledge and skills.
American Academy of Family Physicians
- Breastfeeding Support and Resources Toolkit. (American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) website)
American Academy of Pediatrics
- Breastfeeding Practice Tools for Health Professionals. (American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) website)
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
- Breastfeeding Program and resources. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) website)
New York State Department of Health
- Breastfeeding Pocket Guide for Health Care Providers. (New York State Department of Health website)
U.S. Breastfeeding Committee
- Core Competencies in Breastfeeding Care and Services. (U.S. Breastfeeding Committee (USBC) website)
ACLU
- Breastfeeding discrimination. (ACLU website)
Colorado lactation laws
- Colorado lactation laws support breastfeeding (English). (PDF)
- Leyes de lactancia materna de Colorado (Spanish). (PDF)
- Colorado lactation laws. (Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition webpage)
- Colorado lactation laws PDF handout. (Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition)
- Colorado WIC Breastfeeding Laws Explained. (Colorado WIC website)
- Colorado breastfeeding in public law. (PDF)
- Colorado Workplace Accommodation for Nursing Mothers Act. (PDF)
- Summary of breastfeeding state laws. (National Conference of State Legislatures website)
Federal laws
- Federal workplace legislation under health care reform PUMP Act. (US Department of Labor website)
Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative
The Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative helps Colorado improve breastfeeding rates and support by assisting hospitals with maternity services to implement evidence-based policies and practices. The end goal is to support hospitals in achieving and maintain the Baby-Friendly designation.
Colorado Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence
The Colorado Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence recognizes hospitals with maternity services for having a written policy demonstrating implementation of at least six of the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative’s evidence-based Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. Awards were provided at the Hospital Breastfeeding Summit in 2020 and again at the Hospital Recognition Event in 2023. Visit the Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence web page for complete details, resources, and information.
- Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. (Baby-Friendly USA website)
- Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence. (webpage)
Additional resources
- Colorado Baby-Friendly Hospital Collaborative. (CDPHE web page)
- Celebrate 6 Award of Breastfeeding Excellence. (CDPHE web page)
- Lactation toolkits and resources. (CDPHE web page)