Baby and mother-friendly hospitals: All you need to know

How to choose a maternity hospital

• Setting priorities

This is where the expecting mother needs to decide what’s important for her, whether is it following a trend on social media, or the kind of medical care and prioritizing natural birth.

• Learning the hospital’s protocols

Finding out what protocols the hospital implements during birth and labor, is essential while setting the birth plan and choosing the maternity hospital.

• Putting a birth plan

Setting a birth plan with the help of the Doula, and discussing it with the OBGYN, early on, helps the mother in choosing the right hospital for her.

• Choosing a hospital close to home

To make the trip to the hospital during labor as short as possible.

What do mother-friendly hospitals offer?

• Freedom of mobility for the mom during labor.
• Allowing the husband’s presence in the delivery room.
• Letting the Doula be there during labor.
• Allowing the use of natural pain management techniques, such as the birthing ball, and breathing techniques.
• Letting the mom have some food while in labor.

What do baby-friendly hospitals offer?

• Encouraging breastfeeding through these steps:
• Allowing the mom to have the golden hour to practice skin-to-skin immediately after delivery.
• Not giving the newborn formula unless there is a medical emergency that requires its use.
• Guiding the mother through breastfeeding, by showing her the right feeding positions, baby latching, and the use of breast pumps.
• Allowing room sharing.

Also, a hospital might provide the steps that a mother-friendly or baby-friendly hospital provides even without having official accreditations. This can only be found through researching the hospital’s protocols regarding delivery. Here comes the role of the Doula in helping the mom and guiding her in choosing the best maternity hospital for her delivery.

Check out Hospital bag for delivery checklist