CLEARLAKE >> Deborah Keith, RN, has a passion for healthy mothers and newborns. With her fellow Adventist Health Clear Lake Women’s Care Unit nurses, Keith is ensuring that new moms have the resources and education learn how to breastfeed their newborns while at the hospital so they can continue breastfeeding after they’ve gone home.
Keith has been a registered nurse for nearly 40 years and has been certified by the International Board of Certified Lactation Consultants since 1991. She recognizes that breastfeeding has to be learned and that many women encounter difficulties at the beginning. Research shows that women who worried from the start about their ability to nurse their infants were more likely to switch to formula sooner than those who didn’t have these concerns. That is why Keith has made it her mission to encourage women to breastfeed while they’re at the hospital.
Adventist Health Clear Lake sees an average of 165 deliveries each year. Ninety-two percent of the newborns are exclusively breastfed in the hospital. Adventist Health Clear Lake’s breastfeeding program helps set new mothers up for success by keeping mother and baby together instead of moving the newborn to a nursery, avoiding supplementing with infant formula and making trained breastfeeding counsellors like Keith available within the hospital.
“It is so rewarding to participate in the moment when a woman’s life changes by teaching and empowering her to achieve that first successful latch,” Keith said. “The look of accomplishment on the mother’s face as her baby feeds is inspiring.”
High breastfeeding rates are good news for both mothers and babies. Breastmilk is the ideal food for newborns and infants. It gives infants all the nutrients they need for healthy development and includes antibodies that help protect infants from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea and pneumonia, the two leading causes of child mortality worldwide.
Mothers also benefit from breastfeeding, which is shown to reduce risks of breast and ovarian cancer, type II diabetes and postpartum depression. Breastfeeding mothers return to their pre-pregnancy weight faster and they experience less postpartum bleeding, as the hormones that help with breastfeeding also make the uterus contract.
The World Health Organization recommends that children be fed breastmilk exclusively for the first six months. At six months, solid foods, such as mashed fruits and vegetables, should be introduced to complement breastfeeding for up to two years or more.
