The Texas Department of State Health Services and the Texas Hospital Association have designated the Lactation Center for Methodist Healthcare as a Texas Ten Step Facility. Methodist Healthcare is the first facility in San Antonio to receive this designation.

The Ten Step Program is an effort to improve the health of Texas mothers and infants by promoting breastfeeding. Objectives of the program are to encourage facilities to reach the goal of having 75 percent of their mothers breastfeeding at discharge by 2010; to help facilities support breastfeeding mothers before, during and after delivery; and to encourage facilities to identify breastfeeding resources for mothers after they are discharged. The Texas Ten Step Program is based on the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, which are available on the Texas Department of State Health Services Web site, www.dshs.state.tx.us.

The Lactation Center for Methodist Healthcare provides current evidence-based information and breastfeeding assistance to patients and promotes consistency of teachings throughout Methodist Healthcare hospitals. The lactation team consists of 16 International Board Certified Lactation Consultants, who have been certified for between 2 and 14 years.

The Lactation Center provides inpatient lactation services at Methodist Hospital and Metropolitan Methodist Hospital. Services are offered seven days a week at no charge to patients. In 2007, 21, 689 consultations were done by the lactation team. Methodist Healthcare had a breastfeeding rate of 73 percent at discharge and 61 percent of the newborn intensive care unit infants were receiving breast milk at discharge. Out-patient services are provided to all women in the community at no charge, and last year the lactation team conducted 6,350 out-patient consultations.

The Lactation Center is located at Methodist Women’s Center, 8109 Fredericksburg Road. The Women’s Center also offers two breastfeeding support groups, breastfeeding classes, and the Stork’s Nest, a retail center which provides breastfeeding support products, breast pump rentals/sales and various other items for clients and women throughout the community.

STORY IDEA

World Breastfeeding Week is August 1-7, 2008. The theme is the need to increase support for breastfeeding mothers. Their challenges include overcoming misinformation, breastfeeding while working outside the home, coping in emergency situations, and most importantly, overcoming doubts about their abilities to breastfeed their babies.

When Maribel Larraga had her baby at Methodist Hospital, she knew that she would breastfeed. Her mom had breastfed her five children, and Larraga had breastfed her first child, now 9 years old. “Breastfeeding is a natural process that you know is good for your baby,” she said. When Camila was born six weeks ago, Larraga was not producing enough breast milk so Camila was bottle fed. As soon as her breast milk production increased, Larraga tried to breastfeed Camila, but was unable to get her to latch on. Working with lactation consultant Pam DeJesus, Larrage received the support that she needed to breastfeed successfully.

With advance notice, Geri Collins, BSN, RN, IBCLC, director of Methodist Women’s Center, Larraga, and her lactation consultant are available for interviews.