mother’s milkBreastfeeding is the normal method of feeding

infants and young children. In support of women who

breastfeed and in accordance with the World Health

Organization/UNICEF Baby Friendly Initiative and the

Breastfeeding Committee for Canada, we will:

• Communicate the breastfeeding policy to allhealth care providers and volunteers.

• Educate and support all health care providersinvolved in the care of mothers and young childrenin the necessary skills to implement the policy.

• Inform pregnant women, their families, andtheir communities, including their work sites,about the benefits and management of breastfeed-ing.

• Provide a welcoming atmosphere for breastfeed-ing families.

• Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within thefirst half hour after birth.

• Show mothers how to breastfeed and how tomaintain lactation if they are separated from theirbreastfeeding child.

• Practice rooming-in. Encourage mothers andinfants to remain together 24 hours a day.

• Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

• Give newborn infants no food or drink otherthan breast milk unless medically indicated.

• Support exclusive breastfeeding for six months.

• Encourage sustained breastfeeding beyond sixmonths to two years or more with appropriateintroduction of complimentary foods.

• Give no artificial pacifiers or soothers to thebreastfeeding child.

• Foster the establishment of breastfeeding sup-port groups and refer mothers to them on dischargefrom the hospital or clinic.

• Promote collaboration among health careproviders, breastfeeding support groups, the localcommunity, unions, and work sites.

b a b y ’s c h o i c e

Breastfeeding Committee

for Saskatchewan A d a p t e d w i t h p e r m i s s i o n f r o m t h e S a s k a t o o n H e a l t h R e g i o n .