BCH receives prestigious Baby-Friendly re-designation

Category: General, Maternity Care, Awards
Posted On: Aug 24, 2022
Written By: Boulder Community Health

BCH is proud to announce we have once again achieved the highly prestigious international Baby-Friendly designation after a rigorous review process conducted by Baby-Friendly USA, the organization responsible for bestowing this certification in the United States. This distinguished honor recognizes our efforts to enhance mother-baby bonding, offer optimal care for infant feeding and ensure a baby’s nutritional needs are adequately met, regardless of whether a family chooses to breastfeed or formula-feed. Re-designated through 2027, BCH has held this important designation since 2015.

For breastfeeding families, the designation requires birthing facilities to provide mothers with the information, confidence and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies, aligning with the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding. For those who choose formula-feeding, or if it’s medically indicated, the Baby-Friendly designation requires facilities to educate families on how to provide safe formula use, preparation, storage and feeding.

"This re-designation is the culmination of a lot of hard work and determination across our organization, all with a goal of helping newborns get off to a good start in life,” said Lisa Allen, director of BCH's maternity care services. “We’re proud to offer an environment that supports best practices to ensure babies’ nutritional needs are met, whether that is through breastfeeding or bottle feeding.”

The Baby-Friendly designation is a global initiative sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and promoted by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE).

Learn more about what being Baby-Friendly means and doesn't mean. To learn about our breastfeeding resources and support, click here.

Photo from left to right:

Cynthia Varra, Registered Nurse with BCH’s Family Birth Center

Danielle Zaitzew, BCH’s Lactation and Childbirth Education Program Coordinator

Lisa Allen, Director of BCH’s Maternity Care Services