Baby-Friendly birth facilities

Baby-Friendly Birth facilities
Why Choose a Baby-Friendly Birthing Facility?

Baby-Friendly birth facilities have taken special steps to create the best possible environment for successful breastfeeing. 

The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) is an international program of the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The Initiative celebrates hospitals and birth centers that have put in place policies and practices to enable parents to make informed choices about how they feed and care for their babies. Hospitals and birth centers that have implemented the Ten Steps create an optimal environment for the initiation of breastfeeding.
 
What are the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding?
The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding are:

1 -  Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.

2 -  Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.

3 -  Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.

4 -  Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within an hour of birth.

5 -  Show mothers how to breastfeed and how to maintain lactation, even if they should be separated  from their infants.

6 -  Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.

7 -  Practice "rooming in" by allowing mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day.

8 -  Encourage breastfeeding on demand.

9 -  Give no artificial nipples, pacifiers, dummies, or soothers to breastfeeding infants.

10 -  Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or birthing center.

Taken from BFHI USA www.babyfriendlyusa.org 
Note: in Greece there are no babyfriendly hospitals

 
Birthing Links in Greece: 

Eutokia is a nonprofit organization promoting natural childbirth in Greece.
www.eutokia.gr
 

Naturalbirth

This is the first birthing center in Athens. Unfortunately their site is only in Greek, but if you call their contact numbers you will be able to reach someone who speaks English.

www.naturalbirth.gr

The information presented in this site gives general advice on parenting and health care. Always consult your doctor for your individual needs.