FIRST “BABY-FRIENDLY” HOSPITAL IN OC KICKS OFF WORLD BREASTFEEDING MONTH

FIRST “BABY-FRIENDLY” HOSPITAL IN OC KICKS OFF WORLD BREASTFEEDING MONTH

OC Mom with Twins Reflects on Challenges and

Success of Breastfeeding

Orange County, Calif. — Breast feeding twins seemed like an impossible task for Cathy Kennedy, who gave birth to Caden and Cooper on March 11 at St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County. But with the help of lactation consultants and nurses, she continues to breastfeed her babies without relying on a drop of formula.

“I had a difficult time breast feeding with my first two children, even though I took classes and I definitely didn’t know what to expect with twins,” said Kennedy. “But I was determined to breastfeed and it was important that I had support from my hospital— I always had the number of a lactation consultant handy or had a nurse by my side when I had difficulty with technique, even in the middle of the night.”

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, breast-fed infants have lower rates of hospital admissions, ear infections, diarrhea, rashes, allergies, and other medical problems than bottle-fed babies.

“We work very hard to encourage breast feeding and do our best to support moms like Cathy,” said St. Joseph Hospital Nurse Manager Carol Suchy, who led the hospital’s Baby-Friendly Initiative and one of Kennedy’s lactation consultants. “The hospital has a goal to boost breastfeeding rates by increasing staff training, eliminating formula marketing to the families, and creating a comfortable environment that supports breastfeeding.”

Kennedy also received support from the hospital after she left St. Joseph Hospital. The Mother Baby Assessment Center is one of the most comprehensive services of its kind in Orange County and is open to all new mothers, including Cathy, in the community regardless of whether they have delivered at St. Joseph Hospital. The center also includes The Stork Stop Boutique. The boutique is open to all new parents and carries specialty baby items, lactation supplies, nursing clothing, feeding accessories, developmental toys, and offers classes for parents.

During the month of August, St. Joseph Hospital will celebrate World Breastfeeding Month at the Mother Baby Assessment Center with several breastfeeding courses including the ‘Breastfeeding and the Working Mother’ course on August 12 at 8 p.m. and the ‘Successful Breastfeeding’ course on August 19 and 24 at 1 p.m. For more information on the breastfeeding courses and many other parenting courses are offered throughout the year, call (714) 771-8266 or visit https://www.sjo.org.

Baby-Friendly USA, a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization and the United States Children’s Fund (UNICEF), gave St. Joseph Hospital in Orange County recognition as a Baby-Friendly birth facility earlier this year.

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