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Orlando Health South Lake Hospital has received prestigious international recognition as a Designated Baby-Friendly birth facility, making it the only hospital in Lake County to be awarded this designation.

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The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative ("BFHI") is a global program sponsored by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). The initiative encourages and recognizes hospitals and birthing centers that offer an optimal level of care for mothers to successfully breastfeed their babies. Based on the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding, this prestigious award recognizes birth facilities that offer mothers the information, confidence, and skills needed to successfully initiate and continue breastfeeding their babies.

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Such practices include training for all health care staff in the skills necessary to implement the Baby-Friendly policy, practicing "rooming in" which allows mothers and infants to remain together 24 hours a day, and establishing breastfeeding support groups to refer mothers upon discharge from the hospital.

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"We are very proud of the hard work and dedication of our team members to provide quality care to all mothers and babies born at Orlando Health South Lake Hospital," said Bonnie Onofre, Orlando Health South Lake Hospital Chief Nursing Officer. "This designation recognizes the level of care and commitment South Lake Hospital has to the community in providing support and education for new mothers to begin and continue breastfeeding their babies."

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At Orlando Health South Lake Hospital, team members help new parents plan, establish and continue meeting their breastfeeding goals through education and support opportunities. The hospital offers prenatal breastfeeding classes, prenatal breastfeeding consultations, postnatal breastfeeding consultations, a mom's morning out support group and a breastfeeding support phone line.