Welcoming a baby into the world is an exciting time! When it comes to where you want to deliver your baby, you have options: at home, a birth center, or a hospital. There will be posts delving into each of these options. This post is going to focus on what to ask when choosing which hospital to deliver at.
1. Is the hospital “baby friendly”1?
Breastfeeding provides the greatest benefit to both babies and their mothers. There is extensive data to support this fact. Because of this, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding exclusively for 6 months. They also recommend providing breastmilk in combination with foods for up to 2 years.
Baby friendly hospitals provide the ideal environment to encourage breastfeeding. Hospitals are required to meet 10 criteria to be considered “baby friendly”. The first criteria involves following international standards to avoid falsely promoting formula as a healthier alternative to breastfeeding. All 10 criteria are listed below.
- Follow the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes
- Train staff on how to support breastfeeding
- Educate patients on the benefits of breastfeeding and provide them with support
- Support immediate, uninterrupted skin to skin and breastfeeding after birth
- Help moms to start and continue breastfeeding
- Avoid giving breastfed newborns formula unless absolutely necessary
- Keep mom and babies in the same room together
- Promote parent education on recognizing infant hunger cues
- Advise moms on how artificial nipples and pacifiers can affect breastfeeding success
- Continue to provide breastfeeding support after discharge from the hospital
Breastfeeding can be a controversial topic for some. Every mom’s situation is different and there are some cases where a mother may not be able to breastfeed for a medical reason. This can be a particular cross to bear for some moms. In other cases, moms may choose not to breastfeed due to life circumstances. In this blog, we are not going to shy away from discussing objective facts that some choices are better and healthier than others. We can’t make a truly informed choice, unless we are actually informed. Our goal is to empower you with information. It is up to you to make the best, healthiest choice for you and your family according to your values.
Read these posts for more information on the many wonderful health benefits of breastfeeding for mom and baby!
2. What is the hospital’s rate of cesarean section births?2
Throughout history, certain pregnancy complications have been deadly for mom and baby. Surgical advances in cesarean sections have saved many lives! But, every medical intervention or procedure has risks. Cesarean deliveries are a major surgery, and are associated with an increased risk of maternal mortality, 3.6 times that of vaginal deliveries.3 There is also an increased risk of anesthesia complications, infection and blood clots. Surgery is not to be taken lightly.
The World Health Organization recommends a goal cesarean section rate of less than 10-15% at the population level. Numbers above that are not associated with better maternal-child outcomes. The rate of cesarean sections in the USA is high at 32%. What does that tell us? It indicates that some c-sections may not be needed, which exposes women to unnecessary health risks.
Necessary c-sections are a blessing and save lives! The important thing is to avoid medically unnecessary cesarean sections. When you’re choosing your hospital, take a look at their percentage of cesarean births. The leap frog database linked above is a good resource to use.
3. Does the hospital have a NICU?4
The last thing to consider is whether your hospital has a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). If your pregnancy journey has been uncomplicated thus far, having a NICU in your delivery location may not be a priority. But for high risk mommas or those with confirmed pregnancy complications, it’s important to know if the facility will have the necessary resources. For example, if your anatomy ultrasound showed baby has a heart or intestine abnormality, you will want to know if there are surgical specialists on site. Discuss with your pregnancy team which hospital they recommend for you.
I hope these questions help you to choose your hospital with confidence. No matter where you deliver, we pray for both you and baby to have a safe delivery!