LI Hospital Deemed 1 Of Best Places To Give Birth In Country

BAY SHORE, NY— Jessica Moy began to sob. She had just given birth to her first child, a baby girl named Theodora, and was struggling to breastfeed.

“I felt like I was failing,” said Moy, 37, of West Babylon. “It can get so overwhelming.”

Sitting on her bed in South Shore University Hospital, dressed in her hospital gown, she felt frustrated at herself. But then, an employee approached her.

"There was a lactation consultant there that just threw her arms around me and hugged me," said Moy. It's okay, said the consultant told her, the baby won't starve.

“I felt so supported," said Moy.

Hiring more lactation consultants, increasing the lactation competency within staff, and holistically supporting mothers are some of the reasons why South Shore University Hospital was recently recognized as one of the best places in the country to give birth.

The hospital achieved its “Baby-Friendly” designation last month after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, a program launched under the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children’s Fund to increase successful breastfeeding between mothers and newborns.

Wendi Andria, clinical program manager at South Shore, said that in order for a hospital to be named Baby-Friendly, it must go through a two-day assessment where both staff and patients are interviewed. Baby Friendly USA checks for strict requirements created by WHO's globally recognized Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI).

For example, a hospital must meet the BFHI’s “10 Steps to Successful Breastfeeding” framework, or utilize evidence-based practices shown to “increase breastfeeding initiation and duration" for mothers and newborns.

"South Shore University Hospital really wanted to increase awareness, education, and really the support about the importance of breastfeeding," said Andria, who is also a registered nurse and lactation specialist.

According to its website, only 590 hospitals, or 28 percent of hospitals in the country, hold the designated title. Andria told Patch that South Shore first started implementing changes more than four years ago, and meeting those standards was a learning process for the whole staff.

"This was a complete team effort," Andria said. "Our department truly went through a complete transformation."

In the past, babies were routinely separated from their mothers after delivery, Andria said. Now, they have immediate skin-to-skin contact for the first hour or so after birth, which she said helps initiate breastfeeding. She also said unless there is a health concern, parents and babies are rarely separated during the course of their stay at the hospital.

"They're able to have the opportunity to learn how to take care of the baby, like teaching them how to change diapers," said Andria."(We're) doing all of our checks right in front of the mom and dad."

South Shore also made efforts to support its immigrant community, such as creating Spanish-speaking breastfeeding support groups and prenatal classes to shed a light on maternity education.

"Some patients are starting from scratch and we're the first person to talk to them about it," Andria said. "It's about meeting a mom wherever she was when she came into the hospital."

To reach these goals, South Shore increased their staff's competency in BFHI values, Andria said. They also hired more employees — specifically lactation specialists — to support mothers.

"More than 95 percent of moms come to the hospital saying they want to breastfeed, but a lot of them are not successful if they deliver somewhere where they don't have the support," said Anria.

After four years of initiating BFHI values, Andria said South Shore's success rate of mothers who embraced breastfeeding increased from 15 percent to 50 percent. According to Baby USA, studies show that breast milk provides infants with nutrients and energy needed for physical and neurological growth and development.

Moy, who gave birth at South Shore this May, said that the staff did an "incredible" job of educating her and her husband about breastfeeding, but the act never felt forced.

"Even in those moments where I felt like I'm failing, they never pushed formula on me," said Moy. "I always felt like I had the proper support to make that choice, no matter what I wanted."

Even after she was discharged, South Shore continued to provide her with the tools needed to care for her baby, she said. About one month after her delivery, a lactation specialist reached out to check up on her, she said. Once a week, she also participated in a virtual breastfeeding support group, also led by a lactation specialist. Moy said she was grateful to have a shared experience with other mothers.

"It's really a great resource just to feel connected with any mom who has given birth, in whatever stage they're in, whether it's a few weeks' old baby or up to 14 months," Moy said.

Even though she wasn't aware of the term "Baby-Friendly" prior to her daughter's birth, Moy said she is grateful to receive the care and lactation services of South Shore's staff.

"If didn't have that as a resource, I feel like I probably would have given up on breastfeeding," said Moy. " I really credit them with building up my confidence."