August is National Breastfeeding Awareness Month, and Kaiser Permanente believes that one of the most important choices a mother can make to promote the health of her family is to choose to breastfeed exclusively. Kaiser Permanente, with more than 90,000 births in 2009, uses its integrated care delivery model to help mothers understand the benefits of breastfeeding to both mother and child and support the mother's infant feeding decision.
"Kaiser Permanente physicians have the unique opportunity to put the patient at the center of every decision," said Edward Martin, MD, Kaiser Permanente Northern California chair of the chiefs of pediatrics and recent panelist at the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine's 2nd Annual Summit on Breastfeeding. "Supported by obstetricians, midwives, pediatricians, nurses, lactation consultants and midwives who are all connected to each other by state-of-the-art electronic medical records, our care providers have immediate access to patients' medical information so members are assured they are receiving coordinated, high-quality care"
Kaiser Permanente encourages early entry into prenatal care and maternal care, and expectant mothers are encouraged to develop a birth plan to clearly indicate their intentions for feeding the baby. Advice about breastfeeding and other decisions related to a mother's plan are discussed at visits, and a breast examination is performed to evaluate for potential problems. The preferences outlined in the birth plan are respected by the staff. Breastfeeding classes and referral to a lactation consultant are all parts of Kaiser Permanente's comprehensive prenatal care.
In its 2007 National Survey of Maternal Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention listed six hospital practices that have been shown to promote exclusive breastfeeding, and which Kaiser Permanente supports. These include skin-to skin contact, teaching about breastfeeding, early and frequent breastfeeding, exclusive breastfeeding, rooming-in and active follow-up after discharge.