Media release from Southland District Health Board

All the six maternity facilities in Southland have been accredited as Baby Friendly Hospitals after successfully completing the New Zealand Breastfeeding Authority's accreditation process.

The Baby Friendly Hospital Initiative was developed by UNICEF and is based on the 10 steps to successful breastfeeding.  The staff who work in baby friendly hospitals aim to protect, promote and support exclusive breastfeeding.  

This is achieved by having a policy that underpins the care they provide, having staff educated and knowledgeable in the way to support women and their families, practicing in a manner that supports exclusive breastfeeding and ensuring that women are aware of support available in the community after they go home.  

"It is great that we now have all the maternity hospitals in Southland being Baby Friendly" said Jenny Humphries, Director of Nursing and Midwifery for the Women and Children's Division at Southland Hospital.  

"Achieving baby friendly requires co-operation between providers, not just the hospital, but also our Lead Maternity Carers.  Many Southland women birth at our base hospital and then return to the primary care unit close to there home and having consistency or care, advice and support is very important.  As a result of the baby friendly initiative there has been development of the community support for women and greater interaction between providers as we not only want women to breastfeed exclusively when they are in hospital but we want this support to continue when they go home".