According to the CDC, they aren’t! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention just came out with a new report, saying less than 4% of U.S. hospitals give moms the full support they need to breastfeed. And 80% give formula to healthy, breastfed babies for no medical reason!
"Those first few hours and days that a mom and her baby spend learning to breastfeed are critical," CDC director Dr. Thomas R. Frieden, M.D., said in a statement. "Hospitals need to better support breastfeeding, as this is one of the most important things a mother can do for her newborn. Breastfeeding helps babies grow up healthy and reduces health care costs."
Some of the things hospitals can do to support breastfeeding moms include “rooming-in,” which is when the baby stays in the same room as the mom, and not giving babies formula unless it’s medically necessary (why was it ever done before?).
How did you feel about your postpartum hospital stay? Were you given the right resources to breastfeed?
