Prowers Medical Center receives breastfeeding award

Sharon Hendricks and Carrie Andrews receive award from
CDPHE representative Dr. Marianne Neifert

New Beginnings Birth Center at Prowers Medical Center has received the Colorado Can Do 5 BEST (Breastfeeding Excellence Starts Today) award for its commitment to promoting the health benefits and practice of breastfeeding.

The award was presented in Denver on July 26 by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, the Colorado Breastfeeding Coalition and the Colorado Perinatal Care Council. This award is given to Colorado hospitals whose policies and practices help mothers initiate and achieve success with breastfeeding, if they choose to do so.

These practices include facilitating breastfeeding within one hour of birth, giving no artificial nipples (bottle or pacifier) or food other than breast milk without medical indication to breastfeeding infants, and allowing maximum contact between mothers and their new infants by allowing the newborn to stay in the mother's room continually during their hospital stay. Mothers are also given contact information for a lactation consultant on discharge from the hospital.