St. Mary's Hospital - Decatur Services Women's Health Having A Baby Designated Baby Friendly Hospital

Baby Friendly Hospital Designation

Designated Baby Friendly for You!

At St. Mary's Hospital we are committed to providing the best care possible for mothers and their babies. And we are proud to be the only hospital in Decatur to have earned the national Baby-Friendly accreditation.

The global Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative selects hospitals that provide an exceptional level of care that promotes mother and baby bonding. At St. Mary's we provide a sacred hour after delivery for undisturbed bonding time, skin-to-skin contact right after birth, shared rooming, one dedicated nurse for seamless communication and ongoing support after discharge.

What makes a Baby-Friendly hospital special?

This designation, sponsored globally by the World Health Organization and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) recognizes hospitals that offer the optimal level of care for breastfeeding mothers and their babies.

Special Opportunities

All staff are specially trained and dedicated to helping new mothers breastfeed.
All newborn babies who are well after birth are immediately put skin-to-skin with their moms as long as they are stable -- even moms who have C-sections.
Babies are able to nurse immediately after they are born as long as they are well.
Babies are encouraged to stay in their mom’s room so they can be close to their parents and can nurse on demand.
Support is available before, during and after your hospital stay.
We support all new mothers in whichever method they choose to feed their baby.

Skin to Skin Contact

The global Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative selects hospitals that provide an exceptional level of care that promotes mother and baby bonding. At St. Mary's we provide a sacred hour after delivery for undisturbed bonding time, skin-to-skin contact right after birth, shared rooming, one dedicated nurse for seamless communication and ongoing support after discharge.