McLeod Baby-Friendly Designation

McLeod Regional Medical Center (MRMC) achieved Baby Friendly status in 2019 and offers three full-time International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLC). All mother/baby nurses undergo 20 hours of lactation training to help new mothers breastfeed. In addition, many of our Labor & Delivery, Postpartum, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Pediatric nurses are Certified Lactation Counselors (CLC).

The Baby-Friendly initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals that offer breastfeeding mothers the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

This designation also indicates that the hospital supports and promotes the importance of mother and infant bonding through skin-to-skin (placing baby on mom’s bare chest soon after delivery) and rooming-in (keeping the baby in the mother’s room during the hospital stay). While these practices promote bonding, skin-to-skin and rooming-in also offer many health benefits to both the mom and her baby.

The mission of Baby-Friendly USA aligns closely with that of McLeod Health as we provide quality care that has been proven to reduce risks to the baby and mother.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Proven Benefits to Baby

• Promotes a special and loving relationship with mom
• More sleep time
• Perfectly matched nutrition
• Stimulates smell and taste
• Higher IQ
• Protects against infection
• Reduces risk for:
  • SIDS
  • Obesity
  • Ear Infection
  • Diarrhea (Loose BM/Stool)
  • Leukemia
  • Vomiting (spit up)
  • Type 1 Diabetes
  • Gastrointestinal Diseases

Potential Benefits to Baby

• Potentially reduces risk for:
  • Allergies
  • Asthma
  • Type 2 Diabetes

Benefits to Mom

• Promotes a special and loving relationship with baby
• More sleep time
• Saves time and money
• Uterus returns to its normal size faster
• Helps with weight loss
• Reduces risk for:
• Breast Cancer
• Ovarian Cancer
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Osteoporosis
• Heart Disease
• Depression