The Birth Center at Sierra Vista Regional Medical Center is committed to the health and well-being of all newborns and new mothers. That is why we’ve made it a priority to encourage breastfeeding in our hospital and give new mothers the tools and resources they need to keep breastfeeding once they’ve taken their baby home.

While breastfeeding is a natural response, having the support of a knowledgeable and experienced member of the Birth Center team who has specialized skills in breastfeeding management and care can be a great help. Sierra Vista has three internationally board certified lactation consultants on staff to assist new mothers seven days a week.   

To promote breastfeeding success at home, each new mother will receive a World Health Organization compliant Healthy Baby Diaper Bag. These bags include an insulated breast milk holder and other key breastfeeding products, including: nursing pads, milk storage bags, nipple creams, manufacturer coupons and educational materials. In addition, the bags will also come with diapers, a Sierra Vista infant shirt and a First Five Kit for New Parents.

Benefits of Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding provides significant benefits for both mother and child

• Human Milk in Uniquely Suited for Human Infants
• Babies were born to breastfeed
• Human milk is easy to digest and contains more than 200 components that babies need in the early months of life
• Factors in breast milk protect infants from a wide variety of illnesses
• Children who have been breastfed have less risk of becoming overweight or obese, even as adults
• Research has shown that children who had been breastfed had higher IQs

 Breastfeeding Saves Lives

• Lack of breastfeeding is a risk factor for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS)
• Human milk protects premature infants from life-threatening gastrointestinal disease
• Breastfed children have lower risk of dying before their first birthday

 Breastfed Infants are Healthier

• Formula fed infants have twice the risk of having ear infections in the first year than infants who were exclusively breastfed for at least four months
• Breastfeeding reduces the instance and lessens the severity of a large number of infections, including pneumonia and meningitis in infants
• Breastfeeding protects infants against a variety of illnesses including diarrhea and infant botulism
• Breastfed babies have less chance of allergies, asthma and eczema
• Evidence suggests that exclusive breastfeeding for at least two months protects susceptible children from type I insulin dependent diabetes mellitus
• Breastfeeding may reduce the risk for subsequent inflammatory bowel disease, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis and childhood cancers

 Breastfeeding Helps Mother Recover from Childbirth

• Breastfeeding helps the uterus to shrink to its pre-pregnancy state and reduces the amount of blood lost after delivery
• Mothers who breastfed for at least three months may lose more weight than mothers who do not breastfeed
• Breastfeeding mothers usually resume their menstrual cycles 20 to 30 weeks later than mother who do not breastfeed

 Breastfeeding Keeps Women Healthier throughout their Lives

• Breastfeeding reduces the risk of breast and ovarian cancer
• Breastfeeding may reduce the risk of osteoporosis

 Breastfeeding is Economical

• The cost of infant formula has increased 150 percent since the 1980s
• Breastfeeding reduces healthcare costs

 Breastfeeding is Environmentally Sound

• Unlike infant formula, breastfeeding requires no fossil fuels for its manufacture or preparation
• Breastfeeding reduces pollutants created as by-products during the manufacture of plastics for bottles and metal for cans to contain infant formula
• Breastfeeding reduces the burden on our landfills, as there are no cans to throw away