From the Blog

Why Baby-Friendly hospitals are the gold standard for new moms and babies

This article is part of the Ultimate Guide to Pregnancy.

Logansport Memorial Hospital is proud to be a hospital with a Baby-Friendly designation. In simple terms, this means that our Family Birth Center team has received special training to keep the well-being of moms and their babies as the highest priority—before, during, and after birth.

As a Baby-Friendly hospital, we practice evidence-based maternity care that promotes healthy bonding between parents and children. We have expertly trained doctors and nurses on staff to ensure that you and your baby have the best resources to begin breastfeeding and bonding as soon as possible.

mother holding infant

What is the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative?

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative was established in 1991 by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund. It is a global program that equips hospitals with resources to give mothers all the information and skills necessary to give their new babies the best start to life possible.

Learn more about the Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative

What does a hospital need to do to achieve the Baby-Friendly designation?

Baby-Friendly hospitals like Logansport Memorial Hospital practice evidence-based maternity care that focuses on the gold standard of care for mother and baby, including newborn feeding and parent-child bonding.

Hospitals earn Baby-Friendly designation by following the ten steps for guiding new moms on the best infant feeding and bonding practices, including:

  • Educating expectant mothers about breastfeeding benefits when covering the options for feeding their newborns
  • Encouraging mothers to initiate breastfeeding within half an hour of birth
  • Practicing rooming in
  • Fostering a supportive environment for mother and baby
  • Training healthcare staff

What can I expect during my stay at the Logansport Memorial Hospital’s Family Birthing Center?

The best care for mom and baby are our focus at the Family Birth Center. We offer high-quality, cost-effective maternal and neonatal services in a supportive, compassionate, and family-centered environment. Because Logansport Memorial Hospital is Baby-Friendly, we provide unique benefits and support services, including:

Skin-to-skin: Your baby will be placed on your chest immediately after being born. This promotes proper heart and lung function and the transfer of good bacteria. Skin-to-skin contact is facilitated when possible during every birth experience at Logansport Memorial Hospital, including for a routine vaginal delivery as well as for a planned or more emergent C-section.

Golden Hour: For at least one hour after birth, you, your partner, and your new baby will have time to bond, uninterrupted by others.

Rooming in: Your baby will stay with you during your time in the hospital. Newborn wellness checks and other doctor visits will occur in your room, too. Rooming in allows you and your baby to bond and feel more in tune with each other throughout his or her first days of life.

Support and resources: Our obstetrics team members are all specially trained to support you and your newborn in breastfeeding and bonding strategies.

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Do doctors and staff have specific Baby-Friendly training?

Our entire Family Birthing Center staff is prepared to help you and your new baby get off to the best start. All our nurses, OB/GYNs and pediatricians have completed special training in newborn wellness and breastfeeding education so they can provide you with the best support possible.

Our policies allow healthy babies and their mothers to stay together, beginning immediately after birth so that they can breastfeed as soon as they are ready. Our staff will pay attention to your needs and assist you in the first days of your new baby’s life and beyond.


See the Baby-Friendly hospital difference for yourself

Visit Logansport Memorial’s Family Birth Center and learn more about what you can expect during your stay.

Call (574) 753-1395 to schedule a personal tour.

Take a virtual tour of our newly renovated Family Birth Center  <https://www.logansportmemorial.org/familybirthcenter/>

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TOPICS: OB/GYN