Getting breastfeeding off to a good start | Corewell Health

Experts call the first 60 minutes after a baby is born the golden hour.

Ideally, mother and baby can pass it skin-to-skin, with the baby nestled on mom’s chest.

It helps stabilize newborn breathing and body temperature, promotes bonding and lays the foundation for breastfeeding.

“We try not to interfere with this natural process,” Ruth Mulder, CNMa certified nurse midwife with Spectrum Health Medical Group Obstetrics and Gynecology at Corewell Healthsaid.

Allowing time for this skin-to-skin contact, immediately after birth and beyond, is just one way that providers Corewell Health Women and Infant Services help mothers who want to start breastfeeding on the right foot.

Baby-friendly care

Corewell Health has adopted a baby-friendly model of care that emphasizes the importance of breastfeeding, quiet time, and that crucial skin-to-skin time.

This work even led to Corewell Health’s Butterworth Hospital, Corewell Health’s United Hospital, and Corewell Health’s Zeeland Community Hospital earning a Baby-Friendly designation in 2014 from Baby-Friendly USA. , Inc., an initiative of the World Health Organization and UNICEF.

During golden hour, Mulder said babies are not taken for routine medical procedures that can easily be done later. Nurses and other healthcare providers encourage one hour of uninterrupted skin-to-skin contact whenever possible.

Nurses work with mothers to get the baby to latch on for breastfeeding within the first hour or two, allowing the baby to absorb the nutrient-rich colostrum that helps boost the newborn’s immune system, said Mulder.

She tries to be very positive with the overwhelmed new moms, encouraging them with her words.

“Just the things we say can make a difference,” Mulder said. “In that first hour of life, when mom and baby are skin-to-skin, you can say, ‘Look, your baby is so alert. He’s already showing signs that he’s ready to breastfeed. We want to support the a mother’s inner knowing, saying, “You know what to do.” You’re going to get it.

Mulder said another important practice, called “rooming in,” is helpful for a positive breastfeeding experience.

Instead of automatically bringing baby to daycare at night, babies can stay in the same postpartum hospital room as the mother.

The practice helps mothers learn their baby’s first feeding cues, and mothers gain confidence in caring for their baby. It also strengthens the bond by providing more opportunities for skin-to-skin contact.

“The first three months of a baby’s life are sometimes called the fourth trimester,” Mulder said. “The baby adjusts to life outside the mother’s body and it’s normal for him to want to be held all the time. They were just run by you 24/7.

That said, the nursery is also there to support exhausted mothers, especially those who may have had very difficult work experience, Mulder said.

Just as you would get support at home from friends and family when you need sleep, the same is available in the hospital.

Mothers can also rest assured that nurses will not give formula or pacifiers without asking the mother first, Mulder said.

After birth, a lactation consultant visits new moms in the hospital within the first 24 hours, answering questions and offering help like checking the baby’s latch, Mulder said.

There is also support outside the hospital, before and after delivery.

Preparation for pregnancy

Mulder encourages moms who want to breastfeed to attend a breastfeeding class during their pregnancy.

A Certified Lactation Specialist covers the basics of breastfeeding, including the benefits of breastfeeding, how to position the baby while breastfeeding, proper latch, expressing and storing breastmilk, how to tell if your baby eats enough and more.

parents can register for a breastfeeding class held virtually or in person in Grand Rapids or Zeeland. Corewell Health in eastern Michigan also offers virtual breastfeeding classes.

Once the mother and baby leave the hospital, support is also available.

Mulder said Corewell Health offers a “warm line” where mothers can call to speak with a lactation consultant. They can also schedule a virtual or in-person visit. The number is 616.391.9437.

Finally, Corewell Health offers free, in-person breastfeeding support groups once a week in Zeeland and three times a week in Grand Rapids. Mulder said other support groups are also available in the community.

She said the community that grows within these groups is invaluable.

“Going out there just to see other breastfeeding women who can say, ‘Oh, my baby did that too,'” Mulder said. “It can be really powerful.”

She encourages mothers to go there at least once during their pregnancy to see where the group meets, learn where to park, etc. That way, it’s not so intimidating to go there the first time with a newborn.

And it’s not just for first-time mothers.

“Often, if people struggle the first time, they can still have a wonderfully successful breastfeeding experience with their second baby,” she said. “Every newborn is different.”